The stuffed head of a foxhound caused a stir at an auction house in Warwickshire recently when it fetched a mammoth £3,700.
The head, which was mounted on an oak shield by Spicer’s taxidermists of Warwick, was offered by the Banbury-based specialist fine art and antiques auctioneers, JS Auctions.
Unfortunately there was no record of the hound’s identity, but given that such items normally reach between £300-500, JS Auctions’ proprietor Joe Smith believes that the hound may have had local, Warwickshire connections.
“Its background is a bit of a mystery although we believe the head was sold within the [taxidermist] trade,” said Mr Smith.
This story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (7 April, 2011)
