21-5-2024 (AUCKLAND) A rare feather from the extinct New Zealand huia bird has fetched a staggering NZD$46,521 ($28,400) at auction, setting a new world record for the most expensive feather ever sold. The final bid far surpassed initial estimates of NZD$2,000 to NZD$3,000 and eclipsed the previous record of NZD$8,400 for another huia feather sold in 2010.
Weighing approximately 9 grams, the feather’s value is astonishing, equating to NZD$5,169 per gram. This makes it significantly more valuable than gold, which currently trades at around NZD$127 per gram, according to Gold Broker.
The huia, the largest species of New Zealand’s wattlebirds, was renowned for its melodious song, striking black glossy feathers, and distinctive long tail feathers tipped with white. The last confirmed sighting of a huia occurred in 1907, although it is believed they survived into the 1920s. The bird held great cultural significance for the Māori, featuring prominently in their songs and sayings. Its feathers were a symbol of prestige, worn only by rangatira (chiefs) and individuals of high status (mana). The huia’s rarity was exacerbated by European demand for its feathers, contributing to the species’ extinction.
The huia’s legacy continues to captivate, as evidenced by the feather’s record sale. In 2023, a pair of stuffed huia birds fetched NZD$466,000 at a British auction, despite appeals for the New Zealand government to intervene and repatriate them.
Leah Morris, head of decorative arts at Auckland-based Webb’s auction house, where the feather was sold, attributed the high bid to the feather’s pristine condition, the meticulous preservation efforts involving archival paper and UV glass, and the enduring allure of the huia’s story.
“The huia is such an iconic bird, and a lot of people really relate to it in some way,” Morris remarked. The feather’s sale underscores the enduring fascination with the huia and the lengths collectors will go to possess a piece of its history.
