The following vignette I made from vintage family sporting memorabilia, books and letters, it was used by Safari Club International for convention advertising.
vintage safari vignette by Rita Schimpff for Heritage Game Mounts
Rita Schimpff of Heritage Game Mounts next to ‘Tusk’ by John Banovich at convention
African Animals displayed with natural linen and an ornate panel of oak leaves & acorns – all by Heritage Game Mounts
Teddy Roosevelt and other big game hunters began to commission Victorian taxidermists to preserve their trophies artfully
Victorian Taxidermy came alive during the Victorian Era (1837-1901) when wealthy hunters, like Teddy Roosevelt, began to commission taxidermists such as Roland Ward to preserve their trophies for their fashionable libraries and sitting rooms.
Victorian horse hoof silver inkwell ca 1878 at the Cantor Arts Center- Stanford University
Trusty pets were honored in functional items of taxidermy to be placed among the sterling & cut glass.
Read more about how anthropomorphic taxidermy started a fashion trend on our post over at the Women’s Outdoor News
I am a big fan of traditional antler mounts—I own them. I am a big fan of artistic endeavors–I am an artist. I am a big fan of vintage anything—after all, I am a little vintage myself! Every now and then vintage gets a little too grungie-even for me and needs a little help……..But when is artistic taken too far? Or not far enough?
Creative alternative mounts by Frederique Morrel at Bergdorf Goodman – NY
A friend sent me the above photo of artistic antlers from her trip to New York over Thanksgiving as well as the one below……. and thanks to Suzie at Urban Country Style http://urbancountrystyle.com she identified the beautiful deer damask paper from Barneby Gates http://www.barnebygates.com
Needlepoint and feather lashed hibrid deer at Bergdorf
I like to work with new and vintage antlers and create a custom look – I have worked with fabric on my Black Forest style mounts for clients too- but just a little more traditional in my approach.
I have found that many hunters and designers are looking for an elegant way to display their trophies – I have worked with tartan……
Roe deer on tartan insert into the Heritage Game Mounts “Legacy Panel”
and linen…………
and monograms…………
and nail heads…………
Is there room for creativity in the traditional antler mounting world….what do you think?
