Antique Taxidermy Nile Crocodile Head Mount On Shield

Not all taxidermy is created equal. When quality mounts are seen or thought of, names such as; Rowland Ward, Van Ingen, Peter Spicer and John Cooper come to mind. Their skill and expertise at immortalising all manner of creatures really does stand out against

their lesser known contemporaries.

That being said this particular mount of a crocodiles head on shield, while not identified as being a piece by any of the aforementioned names, certainly matches any of their works in standard and quality.

Mounted on an oak shield with Sudan 1887 written underneath, this Nile crocodile head protrudes an approximate 59cm from the wall. Heads in this pose with an open mouth are typical of the Victorian style of mounting, as later mounts tended to be done with a closed mouth. Another nice feature is the position in which it is mounted, being fixed to the shield from the cross section of it's neck, as opposed to the sconce style mounting where the subject points downwards. This piece enters the room jaws open creating impact and effect. Rarely do examples such as this come to market, making them very difficult to find.

Currently available for sale in our shop and soon to be available on our website as well. So keep your eyes peeled or contact me today to find out more. davidhall@hallfineart.co.uk

And don't forget...... Never smile at a crocodile.