Taxidermy Handbag
20th Century English Art Deco Taxidermy
Crocodile
People Also Browsed
2010s American Animal Sculptures
Feathers
21st Century and Contemporary Australian Victorian Games
Gold
Vintage 1950s English Renaissance Beds and Bed Frames
Oak
Vintage 1910s French Art Deco Taxidermy
Coral
21st Century and Contemporary Australian American Classical Musical Inst...
Gold
Antique 15th Century and Earlier American Natural Specimens
Stone
Antique Early 19th Century French Charles X Architectural Elements
Stone, Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Taxidermy
Other
21st Century and Contemporary European Victorian Taxidermy
Animal Skin
Early 20th Century English Taxidermy
Organic Material
Antique 18th Century British Drawings
Paper
2010s American Taxidermy
Animal Skin
Early 20th Century French Trunks and Luggage
Brass
Antique 1880s American Chairs
Antler, Leather, Horn
Antique Early 17th Century Malagasy Taxidermy
Eggshell
Vintage 1920s French Trunks and Luggage
Brass
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.