Thursday, July 10, 2008

Everything antlers

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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:

  1. Anonymous10:36 PM

    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.

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  2. anon av -- isn't Dead Things an absolutely wonderful off-the-wall sort of place? The antler chandeliers belong down there in Yarnell...

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  3. 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.

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  4. juliar -- sounds like a good use for antlers!

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  5. 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.

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  6. 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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