Taxidermy at the Saint-Pierre Museum

From polyurethane mannequins to hand-painted glass eyes: the work of a taxidermist combines anatomy, sculpture, and craftsmanship. A little-known profession that lies at the heart of every specimen on display in the castle’s halls.

The animals visitors encounter in the rooms of the Efisio Noussan Regional Museum of Natural Sciences in Saint-Pierre are not stuffed, as is often said, nor are they mummified. They are naturalized, and once you understand the difference, it changes the way you look at them.

What is taxidermy?

Taxidermy is the art of preparing vertebrate animals for preservation for exhibition and scientific purposes. The word comes from the Greek: táxis (arrangement, order) and dérma (skin), accurately reflecting the nature of the work, as skin is the only part of the animal actually used in the preparation, along with certain anatomical parts such as beaks, claws, horns, antlers, and teeth.

The skeleton is not part of the taxidermy preparation: it can be preserved separately, disarticulated or mounted in anatomical position, as independent scientific study material.

The term “embalming”, on the other hand, is inappropriate when applied to animals on display in a natural science museum, as it refers to ancient body treatment techniques based on the use of balms, impregnating agents, and dehydrating substances suited to preserving the entire musculoskeletal system. Taxidermy is radically different, both in its techniques and its goals.

The taxidermist: a figure between science and art

The person who prepares the animals is the taxidermist: a specialized preparator who combines knowledge of anatomy and animal behavior with artistic talent and craftsmanship. It is a profession that requires a specific license and adheres to strict regulations, particularly regarding the origin of the specimens: today, only animals that died of natural causes, accidents, or came from scientific institutions are used—never those captured or killed specifically for this purpose.

The taxidermist’s work begins long before touching the animal’s skin. The first phase involves taking body measurements on the intact specimen: circumferences, lengths, and proportions that will serve as a reference for all subsequent stages.

The stages of preparation

The process of naturalizing a specimen intended for display consists of several distinct stages, each requiring specific skills.

The first is building the mannequin: a rigid sculpture made of expanded polyurethane foam that accurately reproduces the surface anatomy of the animal and a posture typical of the species—sometimes shown resting, alert, or in action. It is true sculpture work, requiring deep knowledge of the species’ morphology and the ability to translate it into a three-dimensional form.

The second stage involves tanning the skin: the skin is treated with specific substances that guarantee its long-term preservation, preventing biological deterioration while maintaining the flexibility necessary for fitting onto the mannequin.

The third stage is mounting the skin onto the mannequin, which requires extreme care regarding expressive details, particularly around the muzzle of mammals and the head of birds. It is at this stage that the taxidermist’s craftsmanship makes the difference between a convincing specimen and one that looks artificial.

The eyes: the detail that makes all the difference

Of all the details in a taxidermy mount, the eyes are what most determine the realism of the final specimen, which is why they require the greatest care.

The eyes of naturalized animals are not painted directly. They are glass hemispheres produced by specialized companies, hand-painted on the inner surface to accurately replicate the characteristics of the animal’s eye. The coloring process requires attention to the subtle shades of the iris, the shape of the pupil typical of each species, and the correct angle relative to the specimen’s muzzle. A single mistake at this stage compromises the expression of the entire animal.

Alternative mounts: casts, models, and 3D printing

Traditional taxidermy is not equally effective for all animals. For reptiles and amphibians (which lack fur or feathers), naturalization techniques rarely yield convincingly realistic results because the skin dries and shrinks in ways that are hard to control.

In these cases, alternative solutions are used. Casts are made from the original specimen: an artificial shell is first created to reproduce the shape of the animal in reverse detail, followed by a positive cast identical to the original. The resulting reproductions are then hand-painted. Artificial models, on the other hand, are highly realistic sculptures made without using the original specimen, relying instead on photographic documentation and precise measurements.

At the Saint-Pierre Museum, visitors can also see 3D printing applied to the creation of small dioramas in Room 12. This recent technology is opening up new possibilities for producing naturalistic display materials.

Preparations for scientific purposes

Not all mounts are intended for public display. For scientific study, simpler and less space-consuming techniques are used: study skins (without mannequin mounting) and osteological preparations, which preserve the animal’s skeleton either disarticulated or mounted in anatomical position. Some more delicate specimens, such as many reptiles and amphibians, are preserved in fluid solutions that keep the soft tissues intact.

The collections at the Saint-Pierre Museum include all these types of preparations, each carrying its own scientific and documentary value.

Why the museum’s naturalized specimens matter

The naturalized specimens in the halls of the Saint-Pierre Museum are not merely decorative objects or teaching tools. They are scientific documents: physical evidence of Valdostan wildlife at a specific moment in the region’s natural history, which can be compared with modern field observations to understand how local animal populations are changing.

Standing before an ibex or a golden eagle in the castle rooms means looking at a specimen that someone prepared with care, respect, and skill, so that future generations could continue to study and understand it.