Taxidermy forgeries
Forgeries can range from the technically excellent, where you "cannot see the join", to moronic attempts to deceive. Monetary gain appears to be driving this type of activity, so no surprise there really. The frequency of forging attempts also appears to be increasing also. In our opinion Victorian fish taxidermy (John Cooper, WF Homer) and the like, appear to be the most routinely copied. This is due in part to that the species used are still easily obtained and the skill involved in re-creating what appears to be a Victorian example is less arduous. Also these items were produced on an industrial scale and certainly have more mass appeal, other than restricted to taxidermy collectors. Not to mention also the items individual value which can be significant? Prices range from 500-10,000 and above for rare items. This then tends to attract the "bottom feeders" driven by monetary gain.
Taxidermied fish age with time and change colour, which appears can be re-created readily and with little effort. The only way to combat this is to only buy from reputable dealers and or do research on the subject so that you are more confident when purchasing. We would recommend however that you employ the services of a specialist taxidermist for advice and or go to a reputable dealer who perhaps specializes in fish taxidermy. Other attempts at forgeries range from very accurate attempts that fool most, to merely just adding a Victorian label to a case, the contents of which clearly not reflecting the suggested maker / artist. These ham-fisted attempts amuse rather than concern.
Game heads that magically detach themselves from their placque's only to find themselves re-attached to placque's with trade labels and historic data always raises an amused eyebrow by us when encountered. These are often rejected unless they are cheaper than a modern equivalent to produce. No point in wasting a good mount, but the historical context is then often lost. We have seen examples where competent Victorian taxidermy, removed from a broken case has been placed into a case where the original contents were destroyed due to insects but the original groundwork and the actual case are still sound. This tends to be harder to spot, and we have no real answer as to how you can combat this if you only seek Victorian taxidermy that is totally original. Remember this is not "restoration" it is a forgery as it is purporting to be what it is not for monetary gain.
The challenge also occurs when un-mounted original birds, the recent TE Gunn auction is a very good example, have the potential to find themselves re-located into an original TE Gunn case (contents previously "mothed" or badly faded) with associated original groundwork. We would prefer to call this restoration, but clearly it was not as the maker intended and one would have to question the motivation of such an act should indeed this be actually happening. The more collectable the Victorian taxidermist the more likely this is to motivate those who wish to undertake this type of activity. A little sad, but then again not exactly surprising. Clearly the rarity of the item tends to reduce its ability to be faked mostly in part due to obtaining a similar quality item from the same period from another source to complete the illusion. Typically these cases are restored and this tends to be obvious when crudely undertaken.
One way to combat forgeries is to look at the site, as you will see on the whole original / restored examples of the Victorian taxidermy art, as well as modern day taxidermist undertaking competent work that pays homage to the Victorian styles. That said, we cannot and do not suggest that all the items show are original, but with reference to Peter Spicer (perhaps being the hardest to fake) and James Hutchings, we feel that most represented on the pages are as near as original , given the 100 plus years that each case has existed. Peter Spicers work is so complex, well executed and requiring not only competent taxidermy, but also superb cabinet making skills and artistic flare when painting water colours that these cases are beyond the skill range of most people these days. We cannot stress the importance of going to both reputable and knowledgeable dealers when purchasing higher value taxidermy by famous Victorian makers. Remember also that a makers label, ivorine disc and etched glass will not ensure that the contents are original. Our personal view and the Merlin's on the Rowland Ward page are a good example of this. That case is actually original (not for sale by the way, we are collectors remember), but lets discuss the hypothetical that the case is not???. The purchase price of the case was 125 pounds. Our view is that who cares if the case is a fake, given the cost to own. You would have to pay more than that for a single legally acquired bird today and then the cost to have it mounted and cased. A modern version of this case could be in excess of 1000 The opposing view would be that if the case was sold for 2500, then we are confident that the new owner would be somewhat aggrieved that it was not original given the financial expenditure involved.
How do you protect yourself???. Original cases are exactly that, original. They tend to be un-opened and retain all of the issues associated with the case being in excess of 100 years old. Arsenic bloom on the inside of the case tends to suggest that the internal elements of the case have not been cleaned. Beading and paper taping should always look as though it has never been removed and or restored. Newly painted cases could have the potential to have been "messed with", a term that generically describes cases in the collecting world that have a question mark placed upon them. Merely possessing a trade label, etched glass and data is not sufficient to convey originality. Look at the mount, does it look old, has it faded with age, do the colours look bright as if created yesterday. With birds glass eyes were the norm in the Victorian era, but have been replaced with more modern synthetic materials today. Glass eyes have a very different look to the modern versions. Feathers on birds also tend to curl with age, in particular the primary wing and tail feathers. More modern mounts tend not exhibit such traits. Look at the mount in context also with the general condition of the overall case. This is by no means a full proof method but it is a start. Also bear in mind that the more expensive the item, the more likely it is to be faked. Rowland Ward is going to attract more interest from the forgers than say W.H.Vignoe from Cornwall, the latter tends not be faked due to the poor overall quality of the mounts, groundwork and cases and the low sale price. Why would you bother, why indeed. You may also run the risk that when purchasing say a Victorian case that contains a Tawny Owl that the Owl is in fact a modern mount masquerading as an Old bird. You may also at this point be breaking the law, so caution is always advised. If you find yourself in this position it may pay you to consult with www.Taxidermylaw.co.uk, for specialist advice as to how to deal with such an event. Kim has written an article on this very subject and his advice is worth having.
Just a quick statement for all you Ebay fans who so frequently use the term in your descriptions that "The item pre-dates 1947", so it does not require a licence. To use the term in your defence is not enough. You, in order to use that term, need to be able to prove, with the use of documented provenance that the items actually has been created before 1947. Otherwise the term and your ability to use the term is no defence. Our closing statement can only be "Caveat Emptor" when acquiring or be happy with the end result. I personally have never paid anything like some of the sums involved and paid by others to ever be concerned. A trait, that I shall continue going forward. As Oscar Wilde put it in specific reference to humanity but it works just as well here, that "Nowdays people know the price of everything, but the value of nothing If you would like to see what items cost (but not necessarily reflective of their value) then go to hppt://www.taxidermy4cash.com/value.html or simply visit,www.Taxidermy4cash.com to see imagry of some of the finest Victorian taxidermy ever created.