Hey everyone! Back at it again with another blog for you all! Halloween is closer than ever so in the spirit of the holiday I’m diving into the macabre and the odd world of antique taxidermy! There is a market and collectors for everything, and even if this is not your thing, keep in mind that taxidermy has been around for ages. Taxidermy has been used in scientific preservations and displayed in museums for many years, considered to be an art form as well as a curiosity, it allowed people to view animals from far off lands in real life as opposed to images. In the modern world, these old animal preservations have allowed us to see animals that have been long extinct and gives us a tangible sense of what past animals were like. For example, the Smithsonian has one of the largest bird collections in the world, with everything from common to exotic species. The work they do to preserve our natural history is important and should not be ignored. Admittedly, there is a difference between seeing these specimens in museum settings versus collecting, but once more I would like to stress that there is something for everyone, and if this is not for you, that’s okay! There are a few different kinds of taxidermy such as skin mounts, freeze dried, reproductions, wet specimens, so on and so forth. The most common type is the skin mount in which the animal’s skin is put onto a mannequin, extremely common in museums and fish mounts. Wet specimens on the other hand utilize more than just the skin. The specimen is typically preserved in a jar, vial, even crystal balls suspended in ethyl alcohol. For the purposes of today, I am going to include bones in the mix, keeping with the theme of oddities. Most of the skulls on display in both homes and museums have been degreased, meaning that fat has been removed from the bones. In these instances, the bones become white, however their structural integrity may become more brittle. If the bones aren’t degreased, then there is a chance that fat will seep out of the bones, turning them yellow. With this brief explanation to types of taxidermy, I would like to introduce the array of wonderful and macabre antique taxidermy specimens coming up in our next estate auction. We have a collection of skulls including a camel, cape buffalo, and alligator skulls fully degreased and in great display condition. If you are like me and have not been close to any of these animals before the size of each is quite impressive! We also have of antique skin mounts including a black bear and a hyena. Taxidermy isn’t just to preserve bones or fur but can be used for internal organs. For those brave enough, we have a full antique taxidermy horse heart. The sheer size is awe inducing and would be a great display piece in a curiosity cabinet! It is understandable that the concept of taxidermy and preservation after death is uncomfortable or upsetting to some people, but to others it’s a beautiful reminder of life.
