JEWELLERY, DECORATIVE & FINE ARTS AUCTION Tuesday, 25 March 2025 - 10:00 AM start
A rare female huia beak and gold brooch,
Realised: $8,500 plus premium
Lot Details
engraved and gilded 9ct gold cap to one end, and other small band to the other. Length 90mm. Note: The last confirmed sighting of a huia was in 1907. The huia was already a rare bird before the arrival of Europeans, confined to the Ruahine, Tararua, Rimutaka and Kaimanawa mountain ranges in the south-east of the North Island. It was remarkable for its pronounced sexual dimorphism in bill shape; the female's beak was long, thin and arched downward, while the male's was short and stout.
