Taxidermy & Natural History

Taxidermy, the art of preparing, stuffing and mounting the skins of animals for display, has been practiced on many vertebrate species, including mammals, fish, reptiles, birds and amphibians for a long time.

The early taxidermy pioneers date back to the 18th century, although the golden age of animal conservation was largely during the Victorian era, in part a result of increasing interest in the natural world and travel further afield.


img_49-5.jpg

Dinosaur on the road to the rostrum

10 October 2022

Giquello et Associés is selling this fossilised skeleton of Zephyr from the Iduanodon family of dinosaurs which is more than 150 million years old.

img_40-2.jpg

Get your teeth into T-Rex

05 September 2022

Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr is holding a sale in Paris on September 21 of a cabinet of curiosities given over to natural history, entomology and minerals.

img_42-1.jpg

Taxidermy and lots of other stuff

18 July 2022

Couple move upstairs in their 17th century Cotswolds townhouse to open an antiques shop below

Gorgosaurus skeleton

First ever complete Gorgosaurus dinosaur skeleton comes to auction in New York

14 July 2022

The first ever complete Gorgosaurus skeleton is to be offered at auction by Sotheby’s.

img_59-3.jpg

Yes!! I’ve just bid £3500 on a load of old bones…

04 July 2022

Captured on video camera and shared by the auction house on Twitter, this was the fistpumping moment of joy when historian Tom Holland bought a Psittacosaurus skeleton at Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury on June 30.

img_16-3.jpg

See the one that got away on sale day at a weighty £17,000

27 June 2022

This impressive carved and painted wooden half-block model of a salmon measures an impressive 4ft 10in (1.48m) across.

img_19-5.jpg

Flying visit to New Guinea

02 May 2022

This Victorian cased diorama of birds of paradise native to New Guinea sold for £18,000 to lead Tennants’ (22% buyer’s premium) Natural History and Taxidermy sale in Leyburn on April 20.

fish.jpg

Big fish in a large pond: Angling antique to star at Shepton Mallet flea

04 December 2021

A prize-winning fish is among the treasures to be found at next week’s Shepton Flea Market.

img_32-5.jpg

Moose not on the loose

22 November 2021

Leering 4ft 7in (1.4m) out from the saleroom wall and with a 4ft 2in (50cm) antlers spread, a massive taxidermy moose head and shoulders was the major trophy at the best-yet biannual Country and Sporting sale at Mitchells (22% buyer’s premium).

Triceratops skeleton

‘Big John’ triceratops skeleton sells for €5.5m (£4.7m) in Paris

23 October 2021

The largest triceratops skeleton ever discovered has been sold in France by Binoche et Giquello.

Triceratops dinosaur skeleton

Largest triceratops skeleton ever discovered comes to auction in France

04 September 2021

The fossilised remains of 'Big John', the largest triceratops dinosaur ever discovered, will be offered by Paris auction house Binoche et Giquello next month.

img_11-6.jpg

Thai deer points to a high value

19 April 2021

Estimated at £60-80 but sold at £11,500, this set of 14-point deer antlers provided Martel Maides (17.5% buyer’s premium) with a sensational result.

img_20-1.jpg

Gloucestershire auction offers far from your normal antiques and collectables line-up

05 April 2021

With hindsight, the boast made by the Flying Steam Company – 'To China in Twenty-Four Hours Certain' – was a tad ambitious.

img_1-1.jpg

Pick of the week: Up, up and away for £3.3m Aynhoe Park auction dispersal

25 January 2021

Some of the most eagerly contested lots in the Aynhoe Park: The Celebration of a Modern Grand Tour sale held by Dreweatts in Oxfordshire on January 20-21 were those created by the owner of the property himself.

img_18-1.jpg

The stuff of collectors’ dreams

25 January 2021

Cases of Australian animals stand out among a family home taxidermy treasure trove

img_29-5.jpg

Rowland Ward went Down Under

21 December 2020

Australian species pack into a Rowland Ward taxidermy tableau sold for £4000 in Guernsey auction.

img_6-1.jpg

Pick of the week: Replica great auk is real winner at auction

19 October 2020

A Rowland Ward replica of a great auk – the flightless seabird that became extinct in the mid 19th century – sold at auction in Gloucestershire for £25,000.

Dinosaur.jpg

Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton sets auction record in New York

07 October 2020

A complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton was hammered down at $27.5m (£21.3m) at Christie’s New York.

img_13-3.jpg

Kiwi taxidermy quartet draw major interest at Windsor Auctions

07 September 2020

A Victorian taxidermy case of four New Zealand birds by Rowland Ward of Piccadilly sold for an unexpected £7000 (estimate £100-200) at Windsor Auctions (18% buyer’s premium) in Berkshire.

img_19-2.jpg

Squirrels taxidermy diorama is a big deal

06 July 2020

The 252-lot Natural History and Taxidermy auction at Tennants (20% buyer’s premium) on June 19 included this Victorian anthropomorphic diorama of card-playing, cigar-smoking red squirrels, c.1870-1900.

Categories

News

Tags in this section