Taxidermied animals make me feel creepy and yet I want one. Maybe two.
Before photography made it easy to capture the images and behavior of wild animals scientists and artists relied on taxidermied or preserved animals for study. Trophies where for the rich or hobby hunter. People who rely on animals for their survival tend to use all of the animal. Their “trophies” where their families full bellies, warm clothes and shelter.
But, I still want one. or maybe two.
My best friend has some kind of taxidermied goat head that her sister found at a garage sale. This goat head is hanging up on her livingroom wall. Each holiday she dresses it up. At Christmas she hangs Christmas lights on the antlers and provides it with a red and green scarf. Easter requires the goat to wear flowers in its antlers. It is very festive.
My sister never gave me a goat head.
I would love to have a taxidermied squirrel or rabbit. No matter how sad a dead animal can make me feel it is nothing compared to the joy of making clothing for it.
Even better would be to have a walrus like the one pictured here. If he where mine I would make him a bonnet.
If taxidermy interests you then google Rogue Taxidermy and Anthropomorphic taxidermy. They put a interesting twist on the idea of taxidermy.
This room of death is brought to you by the Buffalo Bill History Center in Cody, WY. One of the best museums I have ever gone to. Besides dead animals, their collection of artwork, native american artifacts, and basically all things western is truly amazing. http://www.bbhc.org/bbm/biographyBB.cfm
July, 2009. Cody,WY
Taxidermied critter heads hanging on walls doesn’t bother me terribly much, although I do find the fake eyes creepy, but I’ve gotta tell you that the walrus head caught me WAY off guard!! Seems like there should be a fake ocean setting muraled behind him or something.
Whoa…that walrus was a surprise for me too! Gave me a chuckle, it did. I don’t think I could handle any taxidermy in my house (I was always a bit uneasy around the pieces at my aunt and uncles). But I do like Dr. Suess’ take: http://www.drseussart.com/taxi.html
There is a shop in San Francisco on Valencia that sells all sorts of taxidermy stuff, I’d maybe want a squirrel
That walrus would look great in a bonnet.
Once, when I was in college, I was dating this guy that I was really into. When he took me home to meet his parents, I was so nervous. The first thing I did when I got in their house was accidently knock over a stuffed weasel of some sort that they had on the coffee table by the front door. What a way to make a first impression. It later became evident that anyone who’s parents keep a taxidermy weasel on their coffee table is not a catch. A valuable life lesson.
The walrus would really make a fashion statement in anyone’s house — move over “Billy Bass”. I think I would prefer one of Dr. Seuss’s Unorthodoxed Taxidermies instead.