Silver Plated Bronze, Life Cast
Signed Hamish Mackie
Numbered Edition of 12
Dated 2020
17cm long x 32cm high x 13cm wide
(6.5″ x 12.5″ x 5″)
Sculptures can be shipped worldwide at cost, no VAT payable on exports outside the EU.
£6,500 inc VATInspired by an extraordinary collection of bones, held by the organisation Specialist Wildlife Services in their ‘Bones Museum’, Hamish had the idea to life cast two particularly rare skulls. Rightly, most of us will never get the opportunity to handle the bones of exotic or endangered animals. It is now illegal to take trophies as people did in a bygone era.
However, these sculptures ask to be handled. A comment perhaps on the need to conserve vulnerable species, Hamish wanted to create precious artefacts from these extraordinary museum specimens. Walrus Skull and Cheetah Skull are both silver-plated bronze. It is difficult to show in studio photographs, but the life casting has captured every pit, line and cavity of these bones in minute detail. The skull sculptures are incredibly tactile and the silver creates a smooth sleek finish that reflects the light. In addition, the Cheetah Skull is designed to easily slide on and off its mounting, enabling it to be held in the hand. They have both a contemporary and a timeless feel and would make a striking talking-point in any interior.
Hamish is very grateful to Specialist Wildlife Services for the loan of the original skulls.
After travelling with Steppes Travel to India, I later exhibited at their “Beyond” travel and conservation show at the Royal Geographical Society. There I met Matthew Ford from Specialist Wildlife Services who was also exhibiting and I was excited by the bones and skulls he had. It inspired me to cast these Walrus and Cheetah Skull sculptures in silver.
