Pheasant table ornament
Datec. 1900
MediumSilver
Dimensions7 1/4 × 14 × 6 inches (18.4 × 35.6 × 15.2 cm)
Markings“925” in a cartouche and an indecipherable maker’s mark stamped on interior of tail.
Credit LineGift of Frank A. Rizza, M.D. and family.
Object number2012.15.167.1
CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextPheasants are native to Asia but were brought to Europe and North America for game hunting, and they have been used for centuries as motifs in decorations for dining materials and rooms. These table ornaments may have been made in Germany, and they likely depict a male and female green or ring-necked pheasant. The male is distinguished by the tufts on its head. The bodies probably were cast, or created from molds, with the textures of feathers and scales rendered afterward through extensive engraving. The long tails were formed from sheets of silver and later attached, and both birds have clusters of thin, curling silver feathers at the junctures of their tails and bodies.