Taxidermy is the art of mounting or reproducing animals for display or study and in the past the word has been associated with large gloomy Victorian houses filled with stuffed animals.

However in recent years, taxidermy has emerged from the shadows as a collecting area in its own right and in the United Kingdom there are now dealers who deal only in taxidermy. In Victorian times, taxidermists performed a valuable service, bringing wildlife into homes and allowing the inhabitants to see real birds and mammals at close quarters. They could also create trophies to provide mementoes of a good day's fishing or hunting.

The value of taxidermy specimens is enhanced by the presence of an original label detailing when and where the specimen was obtained and by a trade label of the taxidermist, the most sought after being Rowland Ward of London.

In assessing a taxidermied specimen, the potential more...

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A set of extinct Irish elk horns and skull, measuring 3.2m…

Giant Irish Elk Horns and Skull

A set of extinct Irish elk horns and skull, measuring 3.2m across; the impressive horns with some old damage and restoration, pin fittings to the skull. Note: For the greater part of the 20th century these horns have been in the possession of Major Robert…

Antique crocodile skull, approx 30 cm wide, 55 cm long

Antique Crocodile Skull - 30x55cm

Antique crocodile skull, approx 30 cm wide, 55 cm long

Antique French skull and antlers, mounted on circular back…

French Antlers and Skull on Circular Board

Antique French skull and antlers, mounted on circular back board, approx 65 cm long

An African Oryx skull with horns, early 20th century, 86 cm…

African Oryx Skull with Horns, Early 20th Century

An African Oryx skull with horns, early 20th century, 86 cm high, 41 cm wide. Provenance: Property of a Gentleman, Melbourne

An ancient Cave bear skull (Ursus spelaeus) Pleistocene -…

Ancient Cave Bear Skull with Custom Stand

An ancient Cave bear skull (Ursus spelaeus) Pleistocene - recent Location: Europe (extinct species) with customised stand skull length 35 cm

A Panthera tigris (tiger) skull, 15 cm high, 30 cm long

Panthera tigris Skull: 15cm High, 30cm Long

A Panthera tigris (tiger) skull, 15 cm high, 30 cm long

A Canis Lupus (wolf) skull, 11 cm high, 22 cm long

Canis Lupus Skull: 11 cm x 22 cm

A Canis Lupus (wolf) skull, 11 cm high, 22 cm long

Early 20th century cape buffalo skull and horns on shield…

Vintage Cape Buffalo Skull on Shield Mount

Early 20th century cape buffalo skull and horns on shield timber mount

Adult mounted giraffe skull in two sections, mounted on metal…

Mounted Giraffe Skull on Metal Stand - 70cm Length

Adult mounted giraffe skull in two sections, mounted on metal stand, length 70 cm

A mounted Mosasaur (Platecarpus ictericus) skull, late…

Mounted Mosasaur Skull from Late Cretaceous Period

A mounted Mosasaur (Platecarpus ictericus) skull, late Cretaceous Period, Niobrara Formation, Kansas, mounted on a black enamelled metal stand, within a glazed display case. skull 47 x 46 x 25 cm, glazed case 55.5 cm high, 60 cm wide, 39.5 cm deep, plinth…

A brass sculpted crocodile skull on a serpentine boulder,…

Brass Crocodile Skull on Serpentine Boulder with Pounamu Top

A brass sculpted crocodile skull on a serpentine boulder, finely detailed and cast as two sections, the natural river worn pounamu boulder with polished top. 40 cm x 30 cm x 23 cm

A small antler carving, in the form of a skull, attached to an…

Antler Skull Carving on Stand with Maker's Mark

A small antler carving, in the form of a skull, attached to an antler stand, maker's mark as previous lot

Record 42 cm Grizzly Bear skull

42cm Grizzly Skull Record

Record 42 cm Grizzly Bear skull

Record 42 cm Brown Bear skull

42cm Brown Bear Skull Record

Record 42 cm Brown Bear skull

Antique medical skull (ex Tasmanian Doctor Surgery, Hobart)

Tasmanian Doctor's Antique Medical Skull

Antique medical skull (ex Tasmanian Doctor Surgery, Hobart)

Fossilised 85 cm marine skull

Giant Marine Skull Fossil Discovered - 85cm Long

Fossilised 85 cm marine skull

Fossilised 45 cm marine skull

45 cm Fossil Marine Skull

Fossilised 45 cm marine skull

Upper Bear skull

Bear Skull Upper Anatomy

Upper Bear skull

Antique Seal skull specimen

Antique Seal Skull

Antique Seal skull specimen

Koala skull specimen

Koala Skull Specimen

Koala skull specimen

Lion skull in two pieces, length 35 cm

Split Lion Skull - 35cm Length

Lion skull in two pieces, length 35 cm

A plaster cast of an Australopithecus Africanus skull, Known as…

Mrs Ples: Ancient Skull of Australopithecus Africanus

A plaster cast of an Australopithecus Africanus skull, Known as Mrs Ples

Antique French 13 point antlers engraved to the skull piece…

Engraved French Antlers on Oak Board

Antique French 13 point antlers engraved to the skull piece Foret Drex, mounted to an oak back board, 77 cm high

Antique French eight point antlers with skull attached, 90 cm…

French eight point antlers with skull, 90 cm high

Antique French eight point antlers with skull attached, 90 cm high

Antique medical skull and partial skeleton

Antique Medical Skull and Partial Skeleton Set

Antique medical skull and partial skeleton

Tortoiseshell & metal dish with skull decorated rim, 5 cm high…

Skull-adorned Tortoiseshell Dish

Tortoiseshell & metal dish with skull decorated rim, 5 cm high approx.

Set of mounted red deer antlers a red deer skull mounted with…

Mounted Red Deer Antlers and Skull

Set of mounted red deer antlers a red deer skull mounted with antlers 110 cm high

A Mandrill baboon skull (Mandrillus sphinx), two part skull -…

Mandrill Baboon Skull with Teeth, 24cm Length

A Mandrill baboon skull (Mandrillus sphinx), two part skull - separate cranium and jaw with all teeth including 5.5 cm (visible) upper incisors, length 24 cm

A lion skull, two part skull - separate cranium and jaw…

Complete Lion Skull with Teeth - 33cm Length

A lion skull, two part skull - separate cranium and jaw complete with all teeth including the large incisors, length 33 cm

An old crocodile skull, no lower jaw, length 60 cm.

60 cm Crocodile Skull: Ancient Artifact Uncovered

An old crocodile skull, no lower jaw, length 60 cm.

A pair of fallow deer antlers with skull mount, noted to the…

Fallow Deer Antlers with Skull Mount (Douglas Score 231)

A pair of fallow deer antlers with skull mount, noted to the back of the skull '231', believed to be the Douglas score. Width of span 74 cm.

A European mount deer skull with antlers with one asymmetrical…

Asymmetrical Antler European Deer Skull - 73cm

A European mount deer skull with antlers with one asymmetrical antler 73 cm high

Large European mount deer skull with antlers a European mount…

Symmetrical European Deer Skull with Antlers

Large European mount deer skull with antlers a European mount deer skull with antlers with near symmetrical antlers 76 cm high

European mount large a large European mount deer skull with…

Symmetrical Antlers: 80cm European Deer Skull Mount

European mount large a large European mount deer skull with antlers with near symmetrical antlers 80 cm high

A large unmounted red deer buck skull and attached antlers 76…

76cm Red Deer Buck Skull with Antlers

A large unmounted red deer buck skull and attached antlers 76 cm long

An unmounted deer skull and antlers 57 cm long

57cm Unmounted Deer Skull and Antlers

An unmounted deer skull and antlers 57 cm long

An unmounted Sambar deer buck skull and antlers 68 cm long

68cm Sambar Deer Buck Skull and Antlers

An unmounted Sambar deer buck skull and antlers 68 cm long

Vintage salt water crocodile skull length 51 cm.

51cm Vintage Saltwater Crocodile Skull

Vintage salt water crocodile skull length 51 cm.

An old horse skull, L. 40 cm.

Antique Horse Skull, 40cm

An old horse skull, L. 40 cm.

Fallow deer antlers, with a portion of skull, fifteen points.…

Fifteen-Point Fallow Deer Antlers with Skull

Fallow deer antlers, with a portion of skull, fifteen points. 62 x 70 cm.

White tail deer antlers, with a portion of skull, eight points.…

8-Point White Tail Deer Antlers with Skull Fragment

White tail deer antlers, with a portion of skull, eight points. 34 x 30 cm.

White tail deer antlers, with portion of skull, eight points.

8-Point White Tail Deer Antlers with Skull Fragment

White tail deer antlers, with portion of skull, eight points.

A Cape Hartebeest skull with horns. 30 x 60 cm.

Cape Hartebeest Skull with Horns

A Cape Hartebeest skull with horns. 30 x 60 cm.

A trophy set of Canadian moose antlers, with five tined palmate…

Canadian Moose Antlers from Sundrae, Alberta

A trophy set of Canadian moose antlers, with five tined palmate uppers and double tined lower brows on a skull cap mount inscribed '66 Sundrae, Alberta, Canada. Width 112.5 cm

Extinct moa skeleton, Mantell's moa, species Pachyornis…

Moa Skeleton with Constructed Skull

Extinct moa skeleton, Mantell's moa, species Pachyornis geranoides, the bones nearly entirely from one bird, the skull a full constructed replacement, part of the original skull sold with this lot. Height 70 cm. Length 125 cm. Constructed using No.8 and…

An extinct moa skeleton, Little Bush Moa or Anomalopteryx…

Extinct Moa Skeleton on Wooden Base

An extinct moa skeleton, Little Bush Moa or Anomalopteryx didiformis, the bones nearly entirely from the one bird, the skull with some rebuilding and full plaster replacement mandible. Constructed using No.8 and fuse wire displayed on a wooden base with…

A cast ceramic Mexican skull, cobalt ground with all over hand…

Cobalt Ceramic Mexican Skull with Hand-Painted Decoration

A cast ceramic Mexican skull, cobalt ground with all over hand painted decoration in white. Signed Tijuana BC, height 13 cm, width 13 cm, depth 19 cm

James Gillray (English, 1765 - 1815) [William Pitt] the…

Pitt and the Cathedral: A Graveyard Endeavour

James Gillray (English, 1765 - 1815) [William Pitt] the Minister endeavouring to eke out Dr. Pr.Ty..N's Bisho-prick', [R. Phillips, Southwark, 1787], etching, 33 24 cm. Pitt holds up the dome of St. Paul's which he is to place over Lincoln Cathedral. He…

A vintage alligator skull, with most teeth present. Length 28…

Vintage Alligator Skull with Teeth - 28 cm Length

A vintage alligator skull, with most teeth present. Length 28 cm.

A North Island giant moa skull, Dinornis novaezealandia, the…

North Island Giant Moa Skull from Mason's Dry Cave

A North Island giant moa skull, Dinornis novaezealandia, the main beak section a plaster reconstruction. Provenance: Found by our vendor c1970 in Mason's Dry Cave, Waitomo district. Length 20 cm. Width 12 cm. Height 9 cm.

A rare and extinct kuri (Polynesian dog) skull, an exceptional…

Rare, Extinct Kuri Dog Skull from New Zealand

A rare and extinct kuri (Polynesian dog) skull, an exceptional example given its completeness and condition with all canine teeth and most others present, the lower jaw missing the back right coronoid section, a fine tree root remains grown through the…

An American beaver skull with intact incisors, 10.5 cm high

Intact American Beaver Skull with Incisors - 10.5 cm

An American beaver skull with intact incisors, 10.5 cm high

A shield mounted kudu skull with horns, 82 cm high

Mounted Kudu Skull Shield with Horns

A shield mounted kudu skull with horns, 82 cm high

Two ceramic glazed skull mugs impressed marks

Glazed Skull Mugs with Impressed Marks

Two ceramic glazed skull mugs impressed marks

Action & adventure and Superhero Collector card sets: including…

Action & Superhero Collector Card Sets (10 Complete)

Action & adventure and Superhero Collector card sets: including Topps 'Indiana Jones & Kingdom of the crystal Skull' (2 sets), 'Robocop 2', 'Ghostbusters 2', 'The Amazing Spiderman' (150 cards), 'Superman III', etc; generally VG condition; c.1980s-early…

A Dayak machete with a monkey skull sheath, 49 cm length

Monkey Skull Sheathed Dayak Machete

A Dayak machete with a monkey skull sheath, 49 cm length