feathers

[tiberivs]

I've got a Motefortino helmet and i don't want a horsetail on it but i want feathers.

In one of the books i borrowed i saw 1 black feather and two purple feathers.
If someone has a purper bird i like have 2 feathers.

But i think that is not possible, but what i want to know is to paint feathers purple the original way.

[jvrjenivs]

Gerard, did you know this shop? Otherwise, it would be good to talk to Robert Wimmers.

[Robert]

Hmmm, tricky one. True purple for a period feather would be somewhat hard, me thinks. Depending on the size of the feather, the best bet would be magpie (ekster) tail or blue heron (Ardea cinerea = blauwe reiger), both native to these parts of Europe. The purple heron (Ardea purpurea = purper reiger) is not common in the delta's nowadays, but does breed here, so could be a very good candidate as well. The last one that comes to mind is the Crane (Grus grus), but these are extremely rare in these parts, occuring in middle Europe in swamps.

[Bran ap Maclou]

Mallards can also have a few purple feathers and also some roosters on their tail. Anyway romans are able to buy some feathers to merchant from southern Sahara...

and also the feathers of the Black grouse (Tetrao tetrix) or the Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) which can sometimes seem black with purple effects under the sun. Perhaps ?!

regards

[Tarbicus]

Dye.

[Matthew Amt]

Yup. Get white goose feathers (the goose being sacred to Jupiter), and dye them. A tiny bit of Tyrian purple would be wonderful, of course, otherwise just use madder and overdye with indigo. A purplish red or crimson was probably more common than true purple, I'd guess.

I actually mixed red and blue leather dye for mine! But it's not waterproof. Fabric dyes will work.

Matthew

[Peroni]

Or alternatively, cheat and get some ready-dyed purple feathers from the craft store! Our local shop has all colours in goose feathers for children who want to dress up as Native Americans.

[Robert]

How, paleface, I am the purple Chief!

Oh well, sorry for all the birdlore, true, dye does solve all problems. Some people even turn a finch into a kanarie that way and sell it for good money.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I saw some really nice ones in York, but was distracted from a purchase.... :roll: