6/18/12
Something about taxidermy is very comforting to me. Maybe it’s because my parents have over 20 dead animals mounted all over our home in California. Or maybe it’s from the romance I feel as they remind me of traveling through great houses and castles in England as a child. From a massive cape buffalo looming over our fireplace to the pheasant who watches over the bar, the Carter family has it all. So lately, I have been wanting to fill one of my bare walls with mounted roe antlers. These small pieces come mounted on wood plaques and look industrial, dramatic and chic when clustered together. So my hunt began. I hit up Etsy and found nothing. Ebay deterred me when I realized large enchange rates and shipping costs were what I was in for. So I resorted patiently to a thorough Google search. It resulted in the discovery of a small London shop with a large inventory of these eclectic pieces. So I decided to contact them and get the scoop. It is always best when you are purchasing something online to contact the seller. Since you are not able to see the pieces in person, ask questions: “where did they come from”, “do you have any other pictures”, “do you give a discount if you buy more”, etc. This allows you to develop a relationship with your supplier. If you are genuinely interested in the piece, they will be happy to tell you about it. It is also the best way to determine if it is a scam. If they seem shady or avoid answering basic questions, don’t waste your time. A good retailer will be more than happy to talk about it and will be honest with you so that you get what you expected and don’t attempt to return what you purchased. But anyways, after many back and forth emails filled with pictures and prices, I settled on 13 of these beauties, and they threw in an extra one for good measure, the sign of a good merchant. When the box came, I opened it to discover that these pieces were even more beautiful than I imagined. Some of them dated back to the late 1920′s and 1930′s. And, the taxidermist had even left a little surprise behind the mount. He had embedded the jaw of the deer in the wood making the piece more personal. You are unable to see this feature when it is mounted but it is easy to pop the antlers off the wall and give a little show and tell. Now, the entire herd is mounted on the wall next to my desk, next to the vintage rulers and antique painting of a ship in a bay that I discovered at Brimfield Antique Fair last year. I think the antlers add a sophistication and romance to my masculine living room. Pictures will come soon when I take and submit the final photos to Apartment Therapy with the attempt to be published again. Until then, all you get are single shots as I find more things to transform my space.
