Fetching $28,000, what made a 9 gram feather the most expensive in the world?

The feather, which weighs just 9 grams, was part of Webb's live Material Culture auction in Auckland. A fierce bidding war among collectors drove the final price to over 15 times the expected amount.

rare feather, Huia bird, extinct New Zealand Huia bird, most expensive feather in the world,

The Huia feather that set off a bidding war. (Webb’s)

A rare feather from the extinct New Zealand Huia bird has been auctioned for a staggering NZ$46,521 (approx. US$28,000), making it the most expensive feather ever sold at auction. The feather’s value exceeds even that of gold on a per-gram basis, The Guardian reported.

The feather, which weighs just 9 grams, was part of Webb’s live Material Culture auction in Auckland, featuring arts, crafts, and designs from indigenous people. The initial estimate for the feather was a modest NZ$2,000-NZ$3,000, but the fierce bidding war among collectors drove the final price to over 15 times the expected amount.

rare feather, Huia bird, extinct New Zealand Huia bird, most expensive feather in the world, auction,

A taxidermy exhibit of a pair of Huia birds at the Canterbury Museum. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Huia was a distinctive wattlebird endemic to New Zealand, known for its beautiful black glossy feathers and long, distinctive tail feathers tipped with white. The last confirmed sighting of a living Huia was in 1907, though it is believed that the species may have persisted into the 1920s before becoming extinct.

Story continues below this ad

Also Read | Remember Lionel Messi’s signed napkin to seal Barcelona move? It’s been auctioned for an incredible amount

“The huia is an extinct bird. The last confirmed sighting in Aotearoa was in 1907,” Webb’s decorative arts specialist Florence S Fournier told the Morning Report. “This feather is at least 100 years old and has come from a private collection. It’s been with the vendor for some time, and they now feel it’s time to move it on so some other person can enjoy it.”

These tail feathers were used by high-ranking chiefs and their whānau in pre-European times and their popularity increased after their arrival, partially leading to the bird’s demise, as per Webb’s.

In Case You Missed | De-extincting the dodo: Why scientists are planning to bring back the bird to Mauritius

The previous record for the most expensive feather sold at auction was held by a feather from the American bald eagle, which fetched NZ$4,000 (approx. US$2,600) in the same 2020 auction where a Huia feather sold for NZ$8,000 (approx. US$5,200), as per the New Zealand Herald.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, India's superfan, with Pakistan team's superfan Chacha Cricket, whose real name is Chaudhry Abdul Jalil. (Special arrangement)

Beyond bitterness on field, a tale of two superfans Sudhir and Chacha

Sports1 hr ago

Chacha Cricket and Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, passionate cricket fans from Pakistan and India, have formed an unexpected bond despite their countries' rivalry. They consider cricket a game of love, not hate, and their friendship serves as a reminder to respect opponents.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS