Taxidermy in Spain
Country of the crafting :Spain
Region of the crafting :Andalucia
Town of the crafting :Cordoba
Type of the crafting :Others
1. Geographic Area
this work is located in spain more specifically in the province of andalusia and specifically in the city of Cordoba.
2. Craft characteristics
Taxidermy is the art and technique of preserving an animal’s body through mounting (on a frame) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. the animals are often portrayed in a realistic state. Taxidermy means “the process of preserving the animal as well as the final product.
3. The techniques
Four main methods are used in taxidermy:
- The traditional hide mount: The animal’s tanned hide is mounted on a structure that could be its own skeleton.
- The freeze-dried mount: once the animal is placed in the desired
position, it is frozen and dried using a specific drying chamber. - The reproduction mount: Creating an exact replica of the original animal, particularly used for protected and endangered species.
- The recreation mount: exact life-size representations of existing or extinct species using materials from other animals.
4. Used materials
Materials: animal bodies, bones, skin, metal and wood, plaster, putty, chemical preservatives, etc.
5. History
The caliphal filigree is a handmade jewelry made according to the traditional methods of Andalusian jewelry of the tenth century. Inspired by the decoration of the mosque and the palatine city of Madinat Al-Zahra in Cordoba. The main material is 925 thousandth silver covered with white gold with special glazed ceramic for metals. the caliphal craft techniques include the melting of the raw material, using the same copper-silver alloy that was used during the caliphate, as established by the Law of Metals. The techniques used to decorate the pieces include secret alchemical formulas on how to apply ceramics, such as those used in tiles, but in the glazing of the jewels. Since the Middle Ages, Cordoba has been an outstanding centre of silver production in Europe, with an important organized guild of silversmiths since then.
