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Barnebys HQ
Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Arts & Graphics / Taxidermy: A Cased Recreation of Extinct New Zealand Huia (†Heteralocha
Taxidermy: A Cased Recreation of Extinct New Zealand Huia (†Heteralocha acutirostris), dated 2026, by Barry Williams, Taxidermy, Cannock, Staffordshire, (†Heteralocha acutirostris), †Heteralocha acutirostris), dated 2026, by Barry Williams, Taxidermy, Cannock, Staffordshire, a pair of composed full-mount adult Huias, the female perched slightly above the male, both perched upon a centrally positioned simulated tree branch, a pair of natural antique Spotted pardalotes to the upper right, and left corners, mounted amidst enhanced natural flora, grasses, ferns and fauna, posed above painted faux rocks to the groundwork, set against a graduated blue and pink sky backdrop, the beaks have been reproduced from actual beaks of specimens shot in the Gollans Valley, York Bay, New Zealand circa 1890, no further moulds will be produced from the original beaks which have been donated to Te-Papa Museum, Wellington, New Zealand by Ray Ching, created and mounted upon substitute crow donor bodies, enclosed within a period style ebonised three-glass display case, 53.5cm by 26cm by 61.5cm, together with a copy of - "The Last Huia", The huia collectors, first to last, Barry Williams, limited edition run, numbered 200 of 200, signed by the author. This display is an homage to the cased pair of antique Huia sold by Tennants Auctioneers on the 08th of September, 2023, the original display set a new World record price for a mounted item of taxidermy with a hammer price realising £220,000 + buyer's premium, moving the previous record holder, Trigger, the mounted stallion of famous cowboy Roy Rogers into 2nd place The Huia birds extinction had two primary causes. The first was rampant overhunting to procure huia skins for mounted specimens and their tail feathers for hat decorations. The second major cause was the widespread deforestation of the lowlands of the North Island by European settlers to create pasture for agriculture. Most of these forests were ancient, ecologically complex primary forests, and huia were unable to survive in regenerating secondary forests. It was already a rare bird before the arrival of Europeans, confined to the Ruahine, Tararua, Rimutaka and Kaimanawa mountin ranges in the south-east of the North Island. It was remarkable for having the most pronounced sexual dimorphism bill shape of any bird species in the world. The female's beak was long, thin and arched downward, while the male's was short and stout, like that of a crow. Males were 45 cm (18 in) long, while females were larger at 48 cm (19 in). The sexes were otherwise similar, with orange wattles and deep metallic, bluish-black plumage with a greenish iridescence on the upper surface, especially about the head. The tail feathers were unique among New Zealand birds in having a broad white band across the tips, extinction, overhunting, mounted specimens, deforestation, primary forests, arrival of Europeans, crow
Estimate:£1,200
To the auctionView all items fromTennants AuctioneersorArts & Graphics
Estimate:
£1,200
OCT 17 | 10:00 PM
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