Dionisio Minaggio's Feather Book

Dionisio Minaggio, Chief Gardener of Milan, created 157 collages of birds, hunters, tradesmen, musicians and Commedia del’Arte figures for his Feather Book. The book's pictures are composed entirely of birds' feathers in their natural, undyed colours. The Feather Book contains some of the earliest efforts to depict behaviour rather than simply showing the birds sitting in profile. The non-bird images are more elaborate.

To learn more, see Eleanor MacLean's article presented as a part of a feather Art Cymposium. An excerpt: "Feather art was first introduced to Europe by the Spanish explorers who had traveled to Brazil, Mexico and Peru. The majority of these works (with the exception of Philip II’s shield) are ecclesiastical in subject and use tiny feathers to imitate embroidery work. There is some suggestion that Minaggio drew his inspiration from the San Carlo Mitre which is now in Milan Cathedral. But Minaggio uses feathers of different sizes, cut to the appropriate shape and glued to a paper foundation. Minaggio seems to have been the only artist who created primarily secular scenes. What is certain is that no similar collection exists anywhere else and that this represents possibly the oldest preserved bird skins in existence, which makes them of importance taxonomically as well as artistically."


Dionisio Minaggio, Gardener to the Governor of Milan was the creator, and he made [this book] in the year 1618 156