400-Year-Old Book Made Entirely from Feathers

The title page of The Feather Book. The banner hanging from the branch reads:
 'Dionisio Minaggio, gardener to His Excellency the Governor of Milan was the creator,
and he made [this book] in the year 1618'.
(All Photos: Dionisio Minaggio, The Feather Book, Milan, c.1618,
Courtesy Rare Books and Special Collections, McGill University Library)

In 1618, Dionisio Minaggio, Chief Gardener of the State of Milan, created a series of images of birds and scenes from the era: hunters, tradesmen, musicians and actors from the Commedia Dell’Arte. The pictures were made of feathers, along with some supplementary bird parts: skin, beak and feet. In total, there were 156 images, which were bound into a book: The Feather Book, or Il Bestario Barocco (The Baroque Bestiary).

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