Taxidermy
20th Century American Folk Art Taxidermy
Organic Material
Early 1900s Hollywood Regency Antique Taxidermy
Bone
2010s American Taxidermy
Feathers
21st Century and Contemporary European Victorian Taxidermy
Animal Skin
2010s American Taxidermy
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Taxidermy
Feathers
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Taxidermy
Feathers
18th Century British Antique Taxidermy
Paper
Early 17th Century Malagasy Antique Taxidermy
Eggshell
21st Century and Contemporary American Victorian Taxidermy
Fur, Leather
1930s Vintage Taxidermy
Plaster
1930s Vintage Taxidermy
Plaster
Early 17th Century Malagasy Antique Taxidermy
Eggshell
Early 19th Century English High Victorian Antique Taxidermy
Other
2010s American Taxidermy
Antler
2010s Taxidermy
Antler
1970s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Taxidermy
Composition
19th Century Australian Late Victorian Antique Taxidermy
Other
Early 1900s European Antique Taxidermy
Organic Material
1860s German Antique Taxidermy
Plaster
1930s Italian Vintage Taxidermy
Plaster
19th Century English Late Victorian Antique Taxidermy
Other
1930s Italian Vintage Taxidermy
Plaster
Late 20th Century American Taxidermy
Animal Skin
1940s Belgian Rustic Vintage Taxidermy
1870s Austrian Sporting Art Antique Taxidermy
Horn
Early 20th Century German Rustic Taxidermy
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century Austrian Folk Art Antique Taxidermy
Antler, Wood
Late 19th Century French Folk Art Antique Taxidermy
Brass, Iron
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Taxidermy
Leather, Wood, Antler
21st Century and Contemporary British Taxidermy
Feathers
Late 20th Century Black Forest Taxidermy
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Taxidermy
Leather
1880s British Sporting Art Antique Taxidermy
Paper
20th Century American Taxidermy
Paper
Late 19th Century European Antique Taxidermy
Glass
Late 19th Century German Folk Art Antique Taxidermy
Antler, Wood
Mid-19th Century Austrian Black Forest Antique Taxidermy
Antler, Wood
19th Century Napoleon III Antique Taxidermy
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Taxidermy
Feathers
21st Century and Contemporary South African Taxidermy
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Taxidermy
Feathers
2010s Taxidermy
Other
19th Century European Antique Taxidermy
Bone
21st Century and Contemporary Taxidermy
Bone
Late 19th Century German Arts and Crafts Antique Taxidermy
Feathers
1930s Vintage Taxidermy
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Victorian Taxidermy
Fur, Leather
2010s Dutch Country Taxidermy
Fur
2010s American Taxidermy
Feathers
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.