Wunderkammer: Cabinet of Curiosities
'Rooms of wonder' showcase a collector's knowledge of the world
Huma Bird, Bird of Paradise
c. 1787-91RCIN 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.