ICA-Art Conservation

The Colors of Feathers

Care and Preservation of Feathers

A Gentleman and a Lady Riding to the Chase, 1506. Lucas Cranach (German, 1472–1553)

Crazy for Feathers

Learn about Art Conservation 

Headdress Ornament 1800s–1900s. China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911) Copper-silver alloy, gilding, kingfisher feathers, glass beads

The Deterioration of Feathers

Pelerine (Collar or Cape) c. 1830–1860 Northeastern Woodlands, Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River Region or Europe Cotton, peacock feathers, guinea fowl feathers, Gadwalls duck feathers. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Textile Art Alliance in honor of their 60th Anniversary, 1996.14

Introduction 

Explore objects from different times and cultures with a focus on feathers

Feathers Around the World

There are many different ways to learn about feathers in fun, hands-on activities:

Fun Feather Activities

Feathers are made of the protein called keratin, which also makes up human hair and fingernails.  The well-structured feathers that help birds fly are called contour feathers, which are a type of pennaceous feather. The softer, less-structured downy feathers that birds use for warmth are called plumulaceous feathers. The structure of the feathers generally makes them inedible for birds themselves, though the Slovenian Grebe birds regularly consume their own feathers! Can you name any of the parts of a feather?

The Structure of Feathers

While feathers have been used in artworks and objects all over the world and across time, their importance means that artists have also frequently depicted feathers in all kinds of other artworks. Whether included for their color, symbolism, or their connotations of rarity and elegance, feathers are found in textiles, paintings and drawings, patterns on sculptures, and objects in glass, stone and metal. Explore some different materials in this activity - which do you like best?

Artists' Fascination with Feathers 

Feathery fun! Dive into what makes feathers so colorful and how different cultures used them to make artworks and objects. Learn about how art conservators study and care for this beautiful and delicate material.


Feathery Fun - The Care and Conservation of Feathers

Application/Practice of Science

Science

Visual Arts

The Arts

Careers

Careers in Museums

Feather Collecting and Labeling Activity

The colors in peacock feathers are structural colors, which means that their color is impacted by outside factors, such as light. The following experiment captures the variability of structural colors. 

1. Draw a picture of the peacock feather, making sure to capture all the colors.

2. Place the peacock feather into a bath of water and let it soak for five minutes, then remove the feather.

3. Draw the feather again, paying special attention to the colors. Is it the same color as before? Given your understanding of structural colors, why do you think these changes occurred? Answer: The colors of the feather change because the water changes the refraction of the light.

Many feathers get their colors from structural or interference colors. Through these experimental bookmarks, you can learn more about these fascinating types of colors!

1. Fill the tub halfway up with water, which can be replaced as needed when it gets discolored. 

2. Use the silver sharpie marker to draw designs on the paper.

3. Put the bookmark into water and then use the tweezers to fully submerge it. 

4. Place one drop of nail polish onto the surface of the water. Interestingly, nail polish is hydrophobic so it repels water, which is why the nail polish spreads into a very thin layer on top of the water.  

5. Pull the bookmark through the thin colorful layer to transfer the colors to the bookmark, which will leave behind a rainbow effect when it dries.

6. Blow a hair dyer on the bookmark to dry it completely, 

7. When the bookmark is dry, hold it up to a light. Are there any new colors? What happens to the colors as you move the paper, bend it, and hold it at different angles in the light? Based on what you have learned so far, where do you think the colors are coming from? 

Feathers are generally strong and resistant to fluids in order to protect the bird, but oil has a negative impact on their structure and can actually entirely prevent birds from flying. The following activity shows just how detrimental oil spills can be for birds and their feathers.

1. Examine the feather and rub your hands over it to feel its structure, noting how light it is and how the vanes are held together.

2. Dip the feather into the tub of water, then use your hands to feel the feather's structure again. What does the feather feel like now? Does it feel any different?

3. Dip the feather into the tub of vegetable oil, then use your hands to feel the feather's structure. How does it feel now? Does it feel heavier? This extra weight prevents many birds from flying correctly.

4. Wash the feather with dishwashing soap and try to get all the oil off. Is it difficult to remove the oil? Does the feather feel the same as it did before you put oil on it, or does it feel different? This is because removing the oil from the feathers strips off not just the oils that got on the bird but also the natural waterproofing oils that the bird needs to dry off for flight. 

While you may not be able to keep feathers you find on the ground, you can still capture the feather's beauty through an artistic process called a cyanotype.

-watercolor paper (approximately 6" * 8")

-a cyanotype kit (including the cyanotype sensitizer solution, tray to pour the solution into, a brush to apply the sensitizer, and a dropper) OR a pack of sun sensitive paper

-a place for the paper to soak (can be a pan of water, a sink, etc.)

1. If you are using a cyanotype kit, follow the directions provided in the kit, starting with mixing the solution and then applying it to the paper with the brush, then allowing it to dry completely in a dark place. If you are using pre-prepared sun sensitive paper, skip this step and move to step 2.

2. Set the feather on top of the light-sensitive side of the paper, and put the glass on top to hold the feather in place.

3. Put the paper outside in the sun for at least ten minutes.

4. Place the paper into a water bath and allow it to soak for fifteen minutes before putting it on a flat surface to dry.

Resource Kits

Object Library

Museums

Feathery Fun - The Care and Conservation of Feathers

Fun Feather Activities

Background Knowledge

Experiments with Structural Colors in Peacock Feathers