Antler Handle Fixed Blade Knife
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Taxidermy
Metal
People Also Browsed
Early 20th Century Austrian Black Forest Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century French Classical Roman Delft and Faience
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Metal
Antique 1880s American Folk Art Tapestries
Linen
Antique 19th Century English Baroque Animal Sculptures
Marble
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Toys and Dolls
Metal
Early 20th Century German Toys
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Books
Paper
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Musical Instruments
Aluminum
Vintage 1910s Russian Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
Vintage 1970s French Toys
Metal, Sheet Metal
Antique 1890s American Victorian Toys
Oak
Antique 19th Century German Ceramics
Porcelain
Vintage 1920s French Art Nouveau Glass
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century English Toys and Dolls
Metal
Vintage 1980s American Decorative Art
Glass, Wood, Paper
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century German Folk Art Taxidermy
Metal
Antique Early 19th Century Austrian Folk Art Taxidermy
Metal
Finding the Right taxidermy for You
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.