Dilemma about an antique brass birdcage

[Carolyn d.]

I am sad to say that my mother loved to keep singing canaries in our house in the 60s and 70s. Initially they were in a larger bamboo cage but then she found an antique brass cage that is no larger than 15 by 15 inches and kept a bird in that. After her last bird died she saved the cage and kept it as a decorative piece - it is kind of pretty and sculptural. My mother died 20 years ago and it came into my possession. I had it in myliving room because it was hers and its shape is pretty, but now I am adopting a more minimalist approach to my home and want to let it go.

I definitely do not want to keep it - it is finally registering after all these years that I do not like what it represents.


My concern is that if I sell it that I saying to myself it is OK for such a cage to exist when it is not. I could use the money but I am thinking to just destroy it, they way I destroyed some small ivory keepsakes that were passed down to me.

Someone could buy this cage and put a bird in it.

Thank you,

Carolyn

 

[Sax]

My first thought is to see if any vegan artists would be interested in using it. I agree that I wouldn't like to have that in my home due to what it represents, but that same symbolism could be turned around with a little creativity. Using something that once caged animals to help free them feels right.

 

[Lou]

Good question. And it is a real dilemma. Personally, I'm against destroying it. Or almost anything. I just don't see how destroying it benefits anyone.

Although it is troublesome to think that maybe down the line someone might use it for singing canaries again. I think if you could use the money you should sell it. At least that way it benefits you. it may just be rationalization but it might just be used for decoration.

 

[Carolyn d.]

Good question. And it is a real dilemma. Personally, I'm against destroying it. Or almost anything. I just don't see how destroying it benefits anyone.

Although it is troublesome to think that maybe down the line someone might use it for singing canaries again. I think if you could use the money you should sell it. At least that way it benefits you. it may just be rationalization but it might just be used for decoration.

I do understand about not destroying things, I do not like to be wasteful either. I destroyed the ivory because I never wanted anyone to ever resell the items for any reason so I returned them to the earth. They were just to awful to keep! I still am not sure about what to do about the cage though!

 

[Emma JC]

It could easily be used as a beautiful planter and you could ensure that it isn't used as birdcage, in the future, by cutting out just enough of the bars so it would be useless as a cage but lovely as a planter.

Emma JC

 

[Lou]

Ohmygosh, Emma!!
What a great idea. And solves two birdcages with one stone.
there is a term I learned this year: Repurpose. Also synonymous with "upcycle".
I googled Repurpose birdcages and found 84 great ideas of ways to fix up your birdcage. then you can sell it, It will probably be worth even more. And it won't be used as a birdcage ever again.

https://www.pinterest.com/theglassgarden/bird-cages-upcycledrecycled/?lp=true

 

[Jamie in Chile]

I agree, I was going to suggest the same. You take away one face or one segment of it. A bird cage like that could be used as a feeding or resting place for birds perhaps, but not a cage.

 

[Carolyn d.]

Thank you very much for the excellent idea to repurpose it into a planter! In the area where I live in new Jersey, the deer eat most decorative plants so we are unable to have many colorful annuals. The deer make that impossible. So I can use the cage for some geraniums or other colorful decorative plants! GREAT idea! thank you. Problem solved!

 

[Forest Nymph]

Yeah I think that's a great idea. I do think it's good to keep reminders of these sorts of things around, though. I'm kind of weird horror fanatic though, and I believe that we should always be reminded of the brutality of the past. One of my favorite places is the Old Zoo in Griffith Park, a very cruel establishment that closed down in the 1960s but exists now as a feature of the park, you can actually walk through the stone caves and cages and see how small and cramped they were. You can actually get in the cages. There's something powerful about that.

 

[Carolyn d.]

Yes, forest Nymph, I agree that it is important to show that to people who might not otherwise think of what caged animals have to endure.