Taxidermy - what is it? Making stuffed animals

Taxidermy - what is it? You probably saw stuffed birds, fish, animals in the cabin of a hunter or an angler. But most often they can be seen in the walls of museums. For the first time on the territory of the Russian Empire, stuffed animals appeared in the Kunstkammer on the orders of Peter I. A little later they began to study the making of stuffed animals and try to reproduce the works of foreign masters. The first taxidermy guide was translated and published.

Taxidermy - what is it?

Let's see what the word means. Taxidermy - a scientific discipline that studies the manufacture of stuffed animals, also called the process itself.

Author's taxidermy is a fairly rare hobby. It requires considerable financial costs, as well as the availability of special knowledge and skills.

Taxidermy - what is it, no matter how able to keep hunting and fishing trophies for themselves and descendants? Stuffed animals can not only decorate the interior of the house, but also become an indispensable element of the decor of the thematic restaurant.

History

Surprisingly, taxidermy appeared in ancient times. The first skills of processing skins were mastered in primitive times. The wizards and shamans used animal heads, paws, tails in their rituals.

Great success in taxidermy reached the ancient Egyptians. Following the master in the afterlife was to follow his pets, so in the tomb you can find them stuffed.

The history of taxidermy in its modern form begins with the 16th century. It was at this time that the oldest stuffed rhinoceros was made. In Russia, there was no trophy culture, and the first stuffed animals were brought from Europe by order of Peter I in 1698. This marked the beginning of the domestic taxidermy.

In the 19th century, thanks to the development of science, taxidermists received new materials at their disposal. This allowed to raise the quality of the scarecrow to a new level.

Taxidermy as an art

Taxidermy - what is it: craft or art? The work of the taxidermist can not be put on stream. The production of each scarecrow requires an individual approach and a lot of work. The best works can be seen in museums, at special exhibitions and competitions of taxidermists.

A true artist does not just pull on the skins of the animal's skins. He creates a plot, endows the animal with a character, repeats his natural plastic. The expert studies the habits of the animal, it is important not only to accurately depict the appearance, but also to recreate its dynamics and energy.

A good taxidermist not only knows the anatomy of the animal very well, but also carefully thinks over the composition. Planning can take more than one day. The work of the taxidermist requires great perseverance, care and accuracy.

Animals have almost no facial muscles, so their character can not just be conveyed by an expression on their muzzle. Making the beast evil, aggressive is easy enough - you need to bare your teeth. But to portray the animal playful, watchful, calm, you need to feel the dynamics of the body, to have the talent of the sculptor.

How to become a taxidermist?

Many believe that almost any hunter can independently make a scarecrow from his prey. But this is an erroneous opinion. In order to become a taxidermist, you need to acquire specific knowledge and skills.

To make a stuffed good quality, you need to learn more than one year. And the craftsmanship of an amateur can be easily distinguished from the work of a real master. The products made at a low level resemble moth-eaten skins, and the muzzle expression of such stuffed animals can be quite comical. If you look at a quality work done, it seems that the animal is about to come to life.

Taxidermy, which began its development as a craft, today is one of the trends of art that does not lose its admirers. In order to become a taxidermist, you need:

- to be neat and diligent;

- have knowledge in anatomy, zoology, good knowledge of the habits of animals;

- Know the chemistry;

- to have the talent of a sculptor, without this you will not give the grace of a wild animal;

- to have the talent of the artist, drawing will help to think over the composition.

Apparently, the craft of a taxidermist is hard to master, and such specialists are quite rare.

Who orders stuffed animals?

Who is the client of the taxidermy studio today? Making stuffed animals is often made to order. The circle of consumers of this rare commodity is very narrow, but rich. First and foremost, scarecrows are valued in hunting clubs. They are often bought as a present to hunters. Such a trophy can become a kind of talisman, bringing good luck.

Interior designers are also frequent buyers of taxidermist works. Scarecrows surrounded by ancient guns, paintings with hunting scenes create a unique atmosphere in a country house, and the hall with a fireplace is difficult to imagine without the skins lying on the floor.

You can see stuffed animals in restaurants, bars, cafes. Often they give the name of the institution.

But the tradition of ordering a stuffed animal from a deceased pet has not taken root. Such orders are extremely rare, and many masters are reluctant to work with cats and dogs.

The most popular trophies are the boar, roe deer, deer, duck, pheasant, capercaillie, owl, pike, perch, perch.

How do they make a scarecrow?

The modern taxidermy studio is like a sculptor's workshop. First the taxidermist thinks through the exposition, the pose of the animal. He sketches and molds small figures of plasticine. In the likeness of the most successful model, full-size foam plastic author's mannequins are manufactured. Taxidermy received a new impetus to development precisely with the beginning of the use of this technique. Today no one is stuffing stuffed with cotton wool and sawdust.

The skin is prepared in a special workshop, put on a mannequin, tinted and installed on a pedestal. The eyes used to be turned out of Plexiglas, but today more and more ready-made ones are bought. In special catalogs, you can choose accessories of any size and color.

They enter the workshop and orders for the restoration of old stuffed animals from museum expositions. The exhibit can be stored with due care for up to 200 years.