Search results

Start typing

Frans Francken the Younger was the most famous of an Antwerp dynasty of painters; he trained with his father, Frans the Elder (1542-1616), and joined the Antwerp guild in 1605. He was a painter of religious and historical subjects as well as being the inv
Wunderkammer: Cabinet of Curiosities

'Rooms of wonder' showcase a collector's knowledge of the world

MYSORE

Huma Bird, Bird of Paradise

c. 1787-91

RCIN 48482

This jewelled bird of good fortune, or Huma bird, was presented to George III in 1800 by the Directors of the East India Company. It was later given to Queen Charlotte who left it to her daughters. The Huma bird originally sat on top of the canopy of Tipu Sultan's throne in Mysore.  In 1818, it passed into the collection of the Prince Regent and in the 1820s it was sent to Rundell's for remounting.


    The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.