Natural History & Taxidermy
The sale will include important historical taxidermy from a Private Country House Collection in North Yorkshire (lots 170-231). Never having appeared on the market before, the specimens were collected by the family in the late 19th and early 20th century and prepared by leading taxidermists of the day such as Rowland Ward, James Gardner, and Pretoria-based J.R. Ivy. The 62-lot collection is a treasure trove of interesting items of natural history, including such highlights as a Cased Little Spotted Kiwi (estimate: £2,000-3,000), a Late Victorian Cased pair of Greater Flamingo by James Gardner (1844-1917) (estimate: £1,800-2,500), a Late Victorian Cased Display of Owls by James Gardner (estimate: £800-1,200), and an Indian Leopard Skin Rug in excellent condition (estimate £1,500-2,500).
The sale will also offer the third instalment of the Dean Fields Collection (with the fourth part coming up in 2026). Dean Field always had a love for nature and then outdoors, which extended to a fascination with taxidermy. In 1983 he met A.J. Armitstead (Tony), the renowned Darlington-based taxidermist, and the pair became lifelong friends. Over the years, Dean commissioned numerous pieces, and greatly admired Armitstead’s ability to create such beautiful, naturalistic scenes and poses of the specimens.
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