I realise that taxidermy is not to everyone’s taste but one can appreciate the care and attention to detail that goes into preparing a piece.
This magnificent vintage buffalo head was recently brought into the Arcade, by Katya Pilkington of unit 123, with the intention of adding it to the display in the Square.
However, before we could even install it, it was sold and we only had it for a couple of hours to appreciate!
Watching it being loaded into the car gives you some idea of its size. I think Adrian may have been secretly relieved that he didn’t have to hoist it into position!
Taxidermy was developed in Ancient Egypt as a means of preserving pet animals and birds to be buried with their Pharoah. After this, the use of spices and oils was used predominantly to preserve animal skins and hides for use as shelter, clothing and bedding.
It wasn’t until the Renaissance that there was a renewed interest in whole animals for people to view and for scientific study. One of the earliest examples was in the 1500s in the Royal Museum in Florence, where there was a rhinoceros display for people to marvel at.
The British Museum contributed greatly to the development of modern taxidermy. By the late 1700s it had acquired the world’s largest collection of animal skins, skeletons and specimens. The life-like animal displays probably reached their apotheosis in 1851 with the displays for the Great Exhibition.
