Taxidermy
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Taxidermy
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century English Edwardian Antique Taxidermy
Brass
Early 20th Century British Victorian Taxidermy
Hardwood
1970s Italian Other Vintage Taxidermy
Malachite, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Taxidermy
Bronze
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Taxidermy
Silver Plate
1960s English Art Deco Vintage Taxidermy
Silver, Sterling Silver
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Taxidermy
Bronze
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Taxidermy
Bronze
19th Century Turkish Antique Taxidermy
Silver
18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Taxidermy
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Taxidermy
Bronze
1830s English William IV Antique Taxidermy
Sterling Silver
20th Century British Taxidermy
Silver Plate
Late 18th Century Irish Victorian Antique Taxidermy
Silver Plate
20th Century English Edwardian Taxidermy
Silver
1890s British Late Victorian Antique Taxidermy
Silver Plate
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.