You may recall that young king-to-be Arthur wore a rack of antlers the night that he was fated to bed his half-sister Morgause as part of a pagan rite. So Marion Zimmer Bradley spins the tale in
The Mists of Avalon. So, yes, that answers the question; there is something magic about deer and elk and antelope: their antlers. People just can't resist collecting them, if they have the chance.
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If you can't find an antler or two in the woods (which I did), almost every local curio or collectibles shop can fill the bill. Example: the 3 Sisters Consignment Shop out SR89 (above, below).
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Occasionally, people go overboard in their use of antlers (above); I like the fanciful quasi-antique framing below. All that's missing is the display within.
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This mounted set was in an PV antiquery -- I've seen much better. For instance, the stock at the remarkable Dead Things store down in Yarnell (below) includes a wall of antlers.
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I was sorta creeped out in Batterman's back room, where these mounted deer busts looked to the sky for delivery from their fate. At least, that's how I interpreted it.
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Not being a hunter, I prefer these antler light fixtures. In my mental picture, the necessary antlers are gathered, hit or miss, by a person strolling the woods. Also at Batterman's, which is a goldmine for the quirky collector. That is, if you can't get down to Yarnell to Dead Things.
6 comments:
Love "Dead Things" down in Yarnell!
We recommend the breakfasts at the "Rumors Cafe" in Yarnell. Two years ago, we talked with the owner, a former ad guy from Newport Beach, CA.
Two years laters, looks like the cafe is doing well. We didn't have time to stop.
~Anon in AV.
anon av -- isn't Dead Things an absolutely wonderful off-the-wall sort of place? The antler chandeliers belong down there in Yarnell...
In the movie "Roxanne", there is a store called "All Things Dead".
My brother-in-law makes antlers he finds in the woods into racks that he says are perfect for hanging karate jackets on. He has a second degree black belt in karate, so I take his word for it.
juliar -- sounds like a good use for antlers!
Unfortunately, because my father's family, & also my mother's brothers, were the hunting types, I have seen many antlers adorning walls in both houses & the farm sheds.
meggie -- only one hunter on either side of my family and that was long ago and far away. As I said, my antler (I only found one) was one that had been shed.
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