There are kings and queens, wrapped in yards of silk. There are wealthy merchants and powerful stadtholders, whose heavy-lidded stares are preserved in the brushstrokes of Rembrandt, Rubens, and Van Dyck. And, perhaps, most celebrated among them all is a doe-eyed girl with a pearl earring-one of a handful of paintings by Johannes Vermeer. But I was not there for them.
Amidst the stiff-collared gloom of the great Dutch Masters at Mauritshuis, I searched for a foreigner.
I have long admired the work of the German portraitist Hans Holbein the Younger (1497–1543). His efficient yet elegantly contoured linework pulled portraiture out of Medieval flatness and into a Renaissance of dimension. For this unique ability and economy, he earned patronage at the Tudor court as a painter for Henry VIII of England. It is Holbein’s portrait of Robert Cheseman, hanging in this small, royal gallery at The Hague in the Netherlands, that first attracted me to this museum over a decade ago.
An obscure English nobleman, Cheseman is an unremarkable subject. It is the falcon perched on his gloved hand that gives the portrait a story. Though he is often mistaken as the king’s falconer because of Holbein’s depiction, there is no historical evidence that Cheseman held that office. Rather, art historians believe that the falcon functions here as a symbol of status. By Tudor times, falconry—an umbrella term for sporting with all birds of prey, not just falcons—had become associated with nobility.
But falconry has humble roots. Developed 4,000 years ago on the steppes of Mongolia (some historians place its origins earlier on the Arabian peninsula), it was and still is used in that part of the world as a means of hunting for food. Spreading westward over centuries, the art of training birds of prey had become so firmly established in Europe by the time of William Shakespeare that the great bard wove dozens of references to the avian sport into his works, and thus into the English colloquy: “hoodwinked” (Romeo and Juliet), “scarf the eye” (Macbeth), “haggard” (Taming of the Shrew), and “bated breath” (Merchant of Venice), among many others.
A few months ago, I returned to see Cheseman, who now appears next to another Holbein portrait of an unnamed nobleman with a hawk. I admired the ancient pair, whose world seems so distant from mine. But on that gloomy day in the Low Countries of Europe, little did I suspect that the proximity between us would soon be shortened on an upcoming trip to the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
Steve Hein, director at the Center for Wildlife Education and the Lamar Q. Ball Jr. Raptor Center at Georgia Southern University, which he helped found in 1991, participated in this year’s
Field + Fire weekend at Palmetto Bluff. He was first introduced to falconry as a hobbyist and is now an expert and one of a few thousand falconers in the United States.
In an exhibition at Wilson Village, Hein paraded a stunning pageant of live raptors for us to see and touch. There was a beautiful, dusty-blue peregrine falcon, which can reach speeds up to 240 mph. There was a bald eagle named Freedom and a gorgeous eagle owl, whose talon grip is eight times more powerful than a human hand. There was also a fluffy little screech owl that elicited soft coos from the audience.
But these birds are predators, Hein reminded us. Majestic and sometimes cute, their rightful place at the apex of the food chain should not be forgotten. While they can be trained by humans, they are, by nature, hunters.
I witnessed this the next day when Hein and his son, Adam, who owns On the Fly Outfitters in Brunswick, Georgia, took a handful of us into the Lowcountry forests of Palmetto Bluff. Hein sent his pointing dogs into the brush and released a Harris’s hawk into the trees. A particularly sociable raptor, this breed can be trained to hunt cooperatively. As the dogs sniffed their way through the woods, the hawk followed from tree to tree. When the dogs flushed a chucker, the hawk swooped down for the kill.
We repeated this with a goshawk, a particularly fast and agile bird. It quickly downed another chucker midflight.
Opportunistic hunters, raptors are capable of killing ground quarry as well. They can prey on rabbits and even small dogs. To demonstrate this, Hein released the hawk again. Within minutes, it spotted a gray squirrel high in an oak. A chase ensued. The squirrel, cornered, leapt. As we watched it sail from one branch to another, the hawk intercepted it midair. Gripping its catch, the bird glided down to the brush with its prize.
Hein is mindful that these pursuits are sport—one of the most regulated forms of hunting in the United States. But he is also quick to point out that, before noblemen and kings, falconry was and still is a testament to man’s ability to observe and harness nature for survival.
%GALLERY%
Photography by Bonjwing Lee
Behind the Design with Jason Kimes & Leighann Markalunas In the heart of the Lowcountry, where the gentle sway of Spanish moss-laden trees meets the tranquil embrace of the coast, lies a unique community: Palmetto Bluff. Their approach to home design capt...
Your Pine-ness Cocktail Recipe Before delving into the ingredients and recipe for Buffalos’ delectable Ricotta Meatballs and Sauce, it is imperative that the chef has an excellent cocktail for cooking. Pairing the sweetness of pineapple with the woody flavo...
Coastal Palmetto Bluff Neighborhoods Palmetto Bluff, a private community nestled along the South Carolina coastline, presents a harmonious blend of luxurious living, recreational spaces, and a vibrant atmosphere. The meticulously designed Palmetto Bluff neigh...
Meet Captain Tom of Palmetto Bluff’s Wilson Landing In the tranquil embrace of Bluffton's Lowcountry, where rivers wind their way through nature's masterpiece, an extraordinary tale unfolds at Wilson Landing of Palmetto Bluff. The story belongs to Captain Th...
Your Guide to a Luxury Kitchen Design The kitchen has long been the heart of the home, where cherished memories are cooked up and shared. When it comes to Lowcountry living, a well-designed kitchen is not just a place to prepare meals but a space that encapsu...
10 Activities You Have to Cross Off Your Summer Bucket List While the days are long and the sun hangs high in the sky, summer offers a golden opportunity to create lasting memories and partake in a variety of thrilling activities. Before the cooler breeze of ...
Palmetto Bluff is an ecological wonderland, with its maritime forest and tidal rivers, its salt marsh and abundant wildlife. But perhaps one of the most unique features of this wedge of Lowcountry is the impressive inland waterway that wends through the landsc...
Plein Air Painting and Our August Artist in Residence Palmetto Bluff is a paradise for art enthusiasts and nature lovers alike with its breathtaking landscapes, diverse ecosystems, and serene atmosphere. With that being said, the Bluff is the perfect canvas f...
5 Health Benefits of Coastal Living Did you know that life by the coast is not only the most idyllic way to live, but it also improves your health? All in all, coastal living is a rejuvenating experience for the mind, body, and soul. From the cool, salty bree...
Discover the Charm of the South Carolina Lowcountry Where history and nature intertwine with effortless grace, the South Carolina Lowcountry is a region that allures visitors and residents alike with its timeless beauty, enchanting landscapes, and diverse cul...
Learn about the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy and how we keep the vision of our land in place.
On land or water, there is an ever-evolving variety of activities.
We do not attempt to independently verify the currency, completeness, accuracy or authenticity of the data contained herein. All area measurements and calculations are approximate and should be independently verified. Data may be subject to transcription and transmission errors. Accordingly, the data is provided on an “as is” “as available” basis only and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market”. © [2023] REsides, Inc. All rights reserved. Certain information contained herein is derived from information, which is the licensed property of, and copyrighted by, REsides, Inc.