Country of Origin: Germany A rare antique wooden carved Black Forest red deer head handcarved in naturalistic style and fitted with real deer antlers. The head is mounted upon an elaborate, hand-carved backboard designed as a wreath of oak leaves and acorns-traditional symbols of the black forest. This piece combines authentic natural elements with superior 19th-century craftsmanship, making it a sophisticated addition to any lodge, cabin, or rustic-luxe collection. A special way to present hunting trophies is to attach them to carved animal heads. This tradition exists since the Middle Ages. Even after intensive investigations, it is not yet possible to explain exactly how this happened. The carved heads are often colored and mounted on cartouches that are also carved and painted. They follow a naturalistic representation and one could think that in this way they are symbolically brought back from the abstraction of dead antlers into liveliness. Famous artists to be named are Madl in Ichenhausen, Germany and Heissl in Ebensee, Austria. Around 1900, the antler collection at the Palace of Arco-Zinneberg was an epitome for any lover of this art. width: 10.63 inches height: 22.83 inches depth: 10.24 inches