A single feather from the extinct huia bird has become the most expensive feather in the world, selling at an Auckland auction this week for a record-breaking, five-figure sum.
The single plume fetched a staggering $46,521.50 at Webb's Auction House in Mount Eden on Monday night, breaking the previous world record by 450 percent, a representative for Webb's said.
It was initially estimated the feather would sell for between $2000 and $3000.
Leah Morris, Head of Decorative Arts at Webb's, said the auctioneer was thrilled the "rare item of natural history" had achieved "such huge bidder interest".
Potential buyers were required to provide a permit from the Ministry for Culture & Heritage before they were able to bid on the rare quill.
The last credible reported sighting of a huia was in 1907.
The huia, a member of the wattlebird family that was endemic to the North Island, possessed distinct plumage with a bright white tip, making it highly coveted for garments such as hats. The feathers were particularly important to Māori, with chiefs often donning the plumes as headpieces. They were also gifted or traded.
The previous world record also belonged to a huia feather, which sold at a Webb's auction in 2010 for $8400.
The new record-breaker was sold to a private collector at Webb's Material Culture live auction earlier this week, which also saw a large hei tiki sold for $10,157.50, a prestigious taiaha for $9560, and a pā kahawai fishing hook for $1553.50.
In 2023, a Victorian taxidermized pair of huia sold at a UK auction for $457,704.
Speaking to AM last week, Morris said the huia feathers serve as a "sad reminder of how delicate our ecosystem is".
"People like to pay tribute to that."
The plume in question is a protected object that cannot leave New Zealand, she added.
