Polychrome and gilded wooden sculpture with ostrich feathers, 19th century

This polychrome wooden sculpture, finished in nattier blue and gilded with gold leaf, dates from the first half of the 19th century. The piece depicts a bouquet of intertwined ostrich feathers. The lower section is encircled by an ornate gilded wooden band, surmounted by fleurs-de-lis and enhanced by a bow-shaped ribbon at the base. The central veins of the feathers, as well as the decorative elements of the binding, are finished with gold leaf. The surface of the barbs is treated in a ‘bleu nattier’ polychrome finish, enhanced with lighter shades. The carving brings out the relief of the feathers and the movement of the ribbon.