Mounting Skulls and Feathers

[Andestine]

Hello

Like many others on this site, I have an ever-growing collection of found objects. My home is like a small museum, but most of my finds are housed in boxes due to a lack of horizontal surfaces on which to display them.

I would be most grateful for any ideas on how to increase the maximum surface areas for display (I have wall space and a large darkwood dresser). I'd like to hang the skulls vertically (like shields ) and I particularly need advice on how to display feathers.

I also need to know how to mount fragile items like spider crab carapaces and certain shells.

Although not wildlife, some suggestions on how to mount old fragments of pottery and small rock samples would also be appreciated

I'm aiming for aesthetically pleasing displays and not scientific ones, and I'd be particularly interested to see photographs of how other members have chosen to display their finds

Cheers,

Andestine

[loripo]

For the smaller items like shells you could use boxes like this, it is divided into compartments and although designed to lie flat it will stand on the side. This one is 23x16 cm


The company I got these from isn't showing them on their website but may still be available elsewhere. It's clear acrylic and sold for beads & model making.
(Also cutlery trays make quite good display 'cabinets' stood on the side)
No idea what you do with feathers tho - those sticky pads that museums use to secure valuable objects might work attached to the quill.

[Merrow]

It isn't really the same thing but I must take a photo of my dolphin vertebrae garlands we have hanging from the rafters of our garden shed

[Andestine]

Hi Lori

Those shelves are a great idea, sturdy and transparent and a good size too. I have those thimble holders but they're too small to hold much. I'll try to find a new source of those shelves..

Jumble sales always have things like cutlery trays so I'll keep a look out.

And you gave me an idea about the feathers - I've seen double-sided sticky pads in craft shops. I'll see if the adhesive is strong enough to hold some of the larger feathers I have.

Thanks for all the tips Lori,

Andestine xxx

[Andestine]

Originally Posted by Merrow

It isn't really the same thing but I must take a photo of my dolphin vertebrae garlands we have hanging from the rafters of our garden shed

I think our minds work in pretty much the same ways - that seems like a perfectly logical connection to make

You must post it somewhere

It also puts me in mind of a whale vertebra that we had in our house when I was a child. My grandfather was a poor fisherman, and when a whale was stramded and died on the beach just outside his cottage door he had the bright idea of erecting a big 'tent' around it and charging people to see the whale. They came from all parts of the island to see it. A resourceful man, my grandfather

I love the forms of bones and skulls. So good for drawing too. Do you collect them when you're beachcombing?

And have you seen the thread about the wonderful low tides coming in 2010?

Cheers,

Andestine xxx

[Martin Wilson]

Originally Posted by Andestine

Hello

Like many others on this site, I have an ever-growing collection of found objects. My home is like a small museum, but most of my finds are housed in boxes due to a lack of horizontal surfaces on which to display them.

I would be most grateful for any ideas on how to increase the maximum surface areas for display (I have wall space and a large darkwood dresser). I'd like to hang the skulls vertically (like shields ) and I particularly need advice on how to display feathers.

I also need to know how to mount fragile items like spider crab carapaces and certain shells.

Although not wildlife, some suggestions on how to mount old fragments of pottery and small rock samples would also be appreciated

I'm aiming for aesthetically pleasing displays and not scientific ones, and I'd be particularly interested to see photographs of how other members have chosen to display their finds

Cheers,

Andestine

Hi Andestine.
See if we can put a few ideas your way.
The feather question, have you tried a background say of cork (this could be covered with satin or a silk like material) then get staples depending on the size of you feather, cut one of the ends off, left with an L shape the smaller of the L goes into the back of the feather and tuther end into the cork, then make up your display, I would think that an adhesive of some sort would prevent the feather from falling off or out.

Crabs and exoskeletons, slightly thinking Africa here, Benin Empire and In particular Benin Bronzes....made with Wax Removal Process, you just do it in reverse and add wax into the body to give it that extra weight, if not this way to make it lighter and stronger try a plaster of Paris mixture then cover the inside as you would the chocolate when making an Easter Bunny ( have not made such things myself ofcourse)....just rambling ideas, you might make sense of them.

As to the pottery and shells....Mmmm, going back to my school days of paper mache, make a background undulating or whatever, smooth it down and stick your pottery and shells where ever, then when done spray or paint a glue around them and add sands of various colours to get a textured background with colour and depth, skulls would look rather embossed like this, but if the whole thing is on a board of some sort easily hung.

Afraid I have got nothing like this to show you, just ideas in the making...hope that some could be of help to you.
All the best and good luck.

Martin