Wedding wreath, orange blossom made from green and white feathers on silk-thread wrapped wire with silk ribbons, Great Britain, 1854

Wreath of orange blossom, completely made from feathers, dyed green and white, mounted on a coil of silk-thread wrapped wire, accented with silk ribbons.

Given by Edward Nugée QC

Associated with the wedding of Elizabeth Wroughton Richards to the Reverend Andrew Nugee on 8th August 1854 at Farlington, Hampshire, very probably at St Andrew's..

Elizabeth Wroughton Richards (1820?-2/11/1877) was the daughter of Revd. Edward Tew Richards, Rector of Farlington (the next door parish to Wymering). The Richards were Rectors from 1782 to 1925. Following her husband's death, she went on to marry a Dr. Field in 1867, and died 10 years later.

Andrew Nugée (b.31/10/1813 - d.25/12/1858) was the 2nd son of Francis James Nugée who came from a family of Huguenot tailors who emigrated from Bordeaux to Cork between 1748-1752. They made a name for themselves with "Nugée's waistcoats" in the early 19th century. He was at Brasenose College, and became a curate in Lambeth prior to becoming Vicar of Wymering in 1851. The living was purchased by his father in the 1840s with a view to presenting his son as Vicar when the next vacancy should occur.

Historical significance: Extremely rare and beautiful example of 19th century feather work

This delicate orange blossom wedding wreath is a rare survival. Imitation blossom was normally made from wax, paper, or cloth, but this example is made entirely from feathers and silk ribbons on fine wire. The white feathers have been carefully dyed in shades of green for leaves, or tinted with touches of yellow to replicate petals. It is associated with the 1854 marriage of Elizabeth Wroughton Richards to Edward Nugée.

The wreath could have been purchased from a milliner's establishment, or made at home by a particularly talented home handicrafter. Women's periodicals in the 19th century provided instructions for various handicrafts, including featherwork. They advised their readers on how to clean and dye feathers, and how to make them into various accessories or dress-trimmings. Typically the feathers were stitched down flat into mosaic-like patterns, so the three dimensional quality of this wreath is unusual.

T.6-2008