Animal Fashionshttp://www.ravishingbeasts.com/animal-fashions/en-US2008-11-22T20:09:39ZSquarespace Site Server v5.0.0 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Victorian Jewlleryhttp://www.ravishingbeasts.com/animal-fashions/2007/11/8/victorian-jewllery.htmlrachel2007-11-08T17:44:42ZIn the second edition of his Practical Taxidermy: A Manual of Instruction to the Amateur in Collecting, Preserving, and Setting up Natural History Specimens of All Kinds published in 1884, Montagu Browne thoughtfully adds a short section on jewellery and household items. He notes that "society demands that objects of natural history should not all be relegated to the forgotten shelves of dusty museums, but live as 'things of beauty and joys for ever'" as broaches, earrings, paperweights, and tabacco boxes. Hence the new alliance between the goldsmith and the taxidermist, resulting in "a thousand ingenious combinations of nature and art." (261)

For earrings, Browne suggests two leopard claws mounted as "miniature Robin Hood bugles." Beetles also made dramatic adorment for the ladies ears. For broaches, the heads of hummingbirds with "their throats wrapped with a fillet of gold" were very handsome as were the feet of various species of grouse of owls capped with silver of gold with the toes tipped to prevent clothing snags while pins for "the sterner sex" could be made from the teeth of foxes or dogs.

For ornamental household items, horses hooves served as snuff boxes, inkstands, and paper weights, deers' heads as gas chandeliers, and monkeys, bears, ibises, owls, and eagles could be set up as either dumb-waiters or lamp bearers. The shells of tortoises - if lined with silk or metal - were wonderful tobacco pouches, and the long wing bones of albatrosses made strong pip-stems. Browne's strangest (and now most gruesome) ornamental taxidermy suggestion involved newborn kittens and puppies. "Kittens or puppies of a few days old, if nicely marked, can be stuffed and mounted on a piece of marble for paper weights, or on a red cloth for penwipers."

]]>Cover "it" with furhttp://www.ravishingbeasts.com/animal-fashions/2007/1/7/cover-it-with-fur.htmlrachel2007-01-08T07:26:05Z

For a $2000US, you can purchase an item listed as "Mountain Lion. Closed Mouth. Boone & Crockett Scale Mounted on your sports helmet. With cape or Tail as options" from Attila the Hun Custom Ski Apparel's online gallery of helmet covers. Using top of the line pelt, the Chieftan Hun Taxidermist creates truly original custom pieces - the Hun requires clients to send in their helmets to ensure an exact fit. Besides the rather spectacular cougar, available animal options include Alaskan Timber wolf, wolverine, cross, silver, blue, or artic fox, and coyote.

Attila the Hun also sells fur trapper hats with tails attached, mitts, headbands, archery quivers, belts, key rings, and yes, the fur bikini, available in either beaver or otter fur. Although not properly taxidermy - no beaver head appears anywhere it shouldn't - a fur bikini is just too noteworthy not to take note of. According the website: "the beaver bikini is a Hun exclusive and sure to be an attention getter." No doubt. The bikini is one-size-fits-all ("if it doesn't fit you, you probably shouldn't be wearing it anyway"), costs about $150.00, and weighs 2 pounds.

Check out the Hun: http://attilahelmets.com/8.0.html

]]>Animal Mask Sporranshttp://www.ravishingbeasts.com/animal-fashions/2007/1/7/animal-mask-sporrans.htmlrachel2007-01-08T02:59:41Z

If you are going to wear a kilt, you'll be needing a sporran to hold all those bits and bobs and vital neccessities that used to fill up your trouser pockets. And if you're going to wear a sporran, it better be one of Craigie Originals' animal mask sporrans. Although located in Florida, Craigie Originals produce a variety of sporrans and leathergoods for the Scotsman, but few items have the bizarre appeal of the animal masks.

Perhaps you'd like this badger sporran complete with two well-clawed paws and six brass bells? It'll cost you $490. Or maybe a crocodile or beaver sporran? Craigie Originals has even endured the aroma of making sporrans from skunks. The company also makes less elaborate (headless) pieces from plain fur.

The animal mask sporrans cost between $400 and $500, but considering the splash you'll make at your party, they're well worth the cost. In addition, any of the sporrans can be made into a purse or bag for the ladies with the addition of a leather shoulder strap.

If a sporran is quite your style, how about a Davie Crockett style raccoon headpiece or a raccoon rug? Check out all of Craigie Originals' one-of-a-kind items at: http://www.sporrans.com/index.html

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