From Brueghel to Chanel: The Extraordinary Bird of Paradise Captivates All

The exhibition 'Plumes du paradis' at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris (May 12 to November 8, 2026) explores the cultural and artistic impact of birds of paradise, from their native New Guinea to European fashion. The show opens with hypnotic dances of these birds, highlighting their deep spiritual and social role among Papuan clans, where skins are exchanged as signs of alliance. In 1522, the Victoria brought two skins to Seville, sparking European myths of legless 'birds of paradise.' Flemish and Dutch Golden Age artists like Brueghel, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Jan Lievens incorporated the feathers into allegories and portraits. By the late 19th century, the feather trade boomed: between 1905 and 1920, 30,000 to 80,000 skins were exported annually to Paris, London, and New York. Around 1910, Paris alone had 350 plumassiers, 34 suppliers, and 65 dealers, employing up to 50,000 people, mostly women, for couturiers like Chanel and Paul Poiret, and milliners Rose Valois and Caroline Reboux. Feathers adorned hats, boutonnieres, and Joséphine Baker's costumes. Van Cleef & Arpels created a gold, ruby, and sapphire brooch during WWII. The trade decimated bird populations, leading to animal protection laws. Today, deforestation, mining, and climate change threaten the species. Plumassiers now imitate the feathers using poultry plumes.