Antique Colonel Helmet
Recent Sales
Early 20th Century Figurative Paintings
Oil
Antique 1870s British Victorian Sterling Silver
Silver, Sterling Silver
Antique 19th Century German Black Forest Historical Memorabilia
Antler, Wood
Antique 19th Century German Black Forest Historical Memorabilia
Wood, Antler, Bone
Antique Late 19th Century German Black Forest Taxidermy
Wood, Antler
Antique Late 19th Century German Black Forest Taxidermy
Antler, Wood
Antique Late 19th Century German Black Forest Historical Memorabilia
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century German Black Forest Taxidermy
Wood
Antique 19th Century Austrian Black Forest Historical Memorabilia
Antler, Bone, Wood
Antique 19th Century German Black Forest Taxidermy
Antler, Bone, Wood
Antique 19th Century Austrian Black Forest Religious Items
Bone, Antler, Wood
Finding the Right taxidermy for You
The centuries-old practice of taxidermy continues to enjoy remarkable longevity, with today's top designers making mounted and preserved animals key elements of their decor.
Taxidermy captures animals in an eternal moment of animation, so perhaps it’s fitting that the deployment of these preternaturally preserved creatures — and other natural specimens — as decorative accents has endured far longer than the sell-by-date for most design trends. Certainly, the style-setting enthusiasts of tasteful decorating with taxidermy are as passionate as they are many.
Martha Stewart is a lifelong lover of the preservationist’s art, and she has proudly posed with the vintage game birds, foxes and bears that adorn Skylands, her 1920s retreat in Seal Harbor, Maine. Angelina Jolie began an avian menagerie when her daughter Shiloh brought home a dead bird she wanted to keep as a pet. Danielle Steel has an elegant Paris residence packed with exotic specimens, including a giraffe in the foyer. Over-the-top taxidermy remains the flashy signature of party planner and decorator extraordinaire Ken Fulk.
For Chicago decorator Summer Thornton, the reason for taxidermy’s persistent appeal is obvious: “There’s nothing more beautiful than natural creation.” New York designer Ryan Korban agrees: “They add a layer of whimsy to a room that no other decorative arts element can give.” Patrick Mele, another New York designer, thinks there’s a spiritual component to this attraction. These creatures, he says, “are a special gift to be around. Birds, especially, are so colorful they look hyper-real. They remind us that those crazy colors are right there in nature.”
In the vast inventory of collectibles and curiosities on 1stDibs, find antique, new and vintage preserved and mounted taxidermy specimens for your Wunderkammern, mantle or carefully curated home library.