Taxidermy
15th Century and Earlier Indonesian Antique Taxidermy
Bone
18th Century British Antique Taxidermy
Paper
15th Century and Earlier American Folk Art Antique Taxidermy
Enamel
Early 17th Century Malagasy Antique Taxidermy
Eggshell
Early 17th Century Malagasy Antique Taxidermy
Eggshell
15th Century and Earlier Malagasy Antique Taxidermy
Sandstone
Early 1900s English Antique Taxidermy
Paper
20th Century Tribal Taxidermy
Hide, Zebra Hide, Wood
Mid-19th Century Neoclassical Antique Taxidermy
Marble, Bronze
1970s Vintage Taxidermy
Brass
15th Century and Earlier Malagasy Medieval Antique Taxidermy
Eggshell
17th Century Spanish Colonial Antique Taxidermy
Gesso, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Taxidermy
Paper
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Taxidermy
Sterling Silver
1960s German Folk Art Vintage Taxidermy
Mohair
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Taxidermy
Marble, Carrara Marble
17th Century French Antique Taxidermy
Sandstone
1960s French Country Vintage Taxidermy
Antler
15th Century and Earlier Antique Taxidermy
Bone
18th Century European Antique Taxidermy
Natural Fiber, Glass
Late 18th Century Irish Victorian Antique Taxidermy
Silver Plate
18th Century European Antique Taxidermy
Natural Fiber, Glass
15th Century and Earlier Primitive Antique Taxidermy
Stone, Brass
15th Century and Earlier Swedish Antique Taxidermy
Organic Material
15th Century and Earlier Antique Taxidermy
Bone
15th Century and Earlier Russian Antique Taxidermy
Ivory
15th Century and Earlier Russian Antique Taxidermy
Bone
15th Century and Earlier Russian Antique Taxidermy
Bone
15th Century and Earlier American Organic Modern Antique Taxidermy
15th Century and Earlier American 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.