Antique Bird Cages
Antique or decorative bird cages have become a quite popular feature in homes over the last couple of years. They are not only attractive to look at and unique in their designs, but can be used in a variety of ways either as plant holders, wall hangings, centre pieces, bird nests and more. Other uses involve turning them into lamps or lamp holders. The designs of these decorative bird cages are quite ingenious and can represent the look of regions anywhere over the world like Oriental bird cages, Arabian bird cages, Tuscan bird cages, Chinese bird cages and many more. Bird cages can be made from a variety of different materials such as wood, bamboo, stainless steel, acrylic, iron and various other metals. Some of the decorative cages have aristocratic designs like gold rim tops, marble tops, some even have whimsical shapes like hot-air balloon or globes, whilst others have exquisite scrollwork.
Fancy, decorative bird cages, and antique bird cages are more ornamental than anything and are no longer used to house live birds. For one thing, live birds require more space to fly about and exercise. A cramped living space in a small bird cage will cripple birds easily and make life very unhappy and unhealthy for them. Also, antique bird cages are often brittle and can break quite easily, spoiling the whole effect. Besides, antique bird cages tend to contain toxins in the paints used, which can be extremely harmful for living birds as they have a tendency to nibble, bite or chew at the rods coated with toxic paints used to colour the cages. Hence, decorative bird cages, or antique bird cages, should never be used to house live birds. Instead, you can use them as an artistic addition to your home decor.
Antique bird cages can accentuate the beauty of your home if you want to give it an elegant vintage Victorian look. But even if you have a modern home, with modern furnishings, an antique bird cage placed at a strategic point, can become a great conversation piece. So don’t put it in the corner of the room gathering dust.
One of the best places to look for antique bird cages are the online auction sites. There are many such sites these days offering a great variety of cages, albeit fairly expensive ones . These can be used to accentuate the home decor. Other than this, rummaging through the local antique shops can often turn up some good examples. For newer replica bird cages items, home decor stores, departmental stores, gift houses, upmarket furniture stores, and interior designer house are all good hunting grounds. Or you may stroll around to have a look at the garage or estate sales, or what the local flea markets have to offer. I f you are lucky, you may find a great bargain, and you can then be the proud owner of an antique bird cage.
