Birds of a Feather: a Microscopic Look at Kingfisher Coloration

Meet Madeline Meier and Hortense de La Codre, Postdoctoral Fellows in the Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts at Northwestern University, and Jamie Kelly, Head of Anthropology Collections at the Field Museum and take a multidisciplinary look at the science and cultural heritage of kingfisher feathers.

Hear about the interdisciplinary nature of the field of cultural heritage research as you examine kingfisher feathers and learn the science behind their structural color, and see unique pieces from the China collections showcasing the craft of tian-tsui, or feather inlay technique, which utilizes kingfisher feathers to create these objects.