Taxidermy
20th Century American Country Taxidermy
Leather
Late 19th Century Rustic Antique Taxidermy
Horn
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Taxidermy
Sterling Silver
1990s French Taxidermy
Horn
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Taxidermy
Leather, Wood, Antler
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Taxidermy
Feathers
Early 20th Century Unknown Taxidermy
Animal Skin
2010s American Victorian Taxidermy
Wood, Feathers
21st Century and Contemporary African Taxidermy
Zebra Hide
21st Century and Contemporary European Taxidermy
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Taxidermy
Animal Skin
20th Century Namibian Taxidermy
Antler, Animal Skin, Wood
2010s American Rustic Taxidermy
Animal Skin
2010s American Taxidermy
Animal Skin
21st Century and Contemporary African Taxidermy
Zebra Hide
20th Century Asian Mid-Century Modern Taxidermy
Shell
1930s English Vintage Taxidermy
Fur
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Taxidermy
Wood, Feathers
19th Century English Victorian Antique Taxidermy
Mahogany
1930s English Vintage Taxidermy
Fur
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Taxidermy
1950s English Vintage Taxidermy
1950s English Vintage Taxidermy
1950s English Vintage Taxidermy
19th Century English Other Antique Taxidermy
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Taxidermy
15th Century and Earlier Russian Other Antique Taxidermy
Decorating with Antique, New and Vintage Taxidermy
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.