Taxidermy - Hunting trophies - Mounted animals
Taxidermy - Mounted animals
In the widest sense, taxidermy falls under the umbrella of leather. Taxidermy is the art of preserving, stuffing and mounting animal skins for study or display purposes. Preparing the animal is an elaborate art, requiring great skill, so that the animals look alive. People who practise this skill are called taxidermists.
The killing of animals by hunters as a trophy has declined in popularity significantly. The times when a hunter was admired with his gun in front of a killed elephant are over. Nowadays, the killing of exotic and rare animals for hunting purposes is viewed critically, because many animal species have become extinct or have been decimated too severely through hunting, and the killing of animals only to obtain trophies is also viewed critically, and rightly so.
Tiger
Ermine with summer fur and marmot.
Lion
Cobra in the fight against attackers (seen in the DLM - German leather museum in Offenbach, Germany).
Young crocodile.
Leopard
Aga toad and bear.
Stuffed polar bear trophy.
Animal heads
In some cases, particularly for trophies, only the head is preserved. The heads are then mounted and used as wall decorations.
Head of leopard and bear.
Head of tiger and leopard.
The Jackalope is a popular mythical creature in the western United States.
Before the great depression in 1929 it was the fashion to have leather handbags with incorporated animal heads.
Crocodile head and iguana head.
Crocodile head and iguana head.
Bullfrog head and armadillo head.
Heads are not only processed on handbags. They can be used as trophies, decorations and for other accessories. Also human heads are preserved.
Elk head trophy.
Heads of snakes on boots and a biker wallet.
Also shrunken heads are trophies.
Additional information