The heads of bearskins

[Marcus Mummius]

Salvete,

I am looking into aqcuiring a bearskin for a signifer or a cornicen. I'm unsure though what kind of skin I should get, in regards to the treatment of the head. Should it just be the skin? Or should the head (without the lower jaw) be mounted (with a fake skull inside) and hat about the eyes? Leave them out, or fake glass eyes?

What would be the most accurate option? I've seen all options used by reenactmentgroups...

Please share you insights!

Valete,
Jef

[Peroni]

IMO just the skin with no fake skull or teeth. It's how they appear to be on Trajan's Column.

[Ironhand]

I agree with Peroni, its not likely they were going for a taxidermy type skin where they'd take it off and have a nice rug. Eyes would be gone, teeth would fall out etc. Most likely they would remove all the bits that would spoil and rot. My main question would be whether they would wear the skin in place of a cloak for warmth. If so, its likely they'd wear it fur side in since that way holds in the warmth better as the other way as soon as the fur gets cold so do you.

[Tarbicus]

You can see the ears protruding. Surely you wouldn't if it was turned inside out.

[Ironhand]

Good point. Guess I wasn't thinking. Most usages of furs have been with the fur on the inside unless its just for decoration which this appears to be. Unless the head wasn't always included you are probably right.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Do you think this will fit?

[Ironhand]

What part of Kong's island did you find that critter on?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Alaska, I had typed more detail, but it all got deleted :evil: :evil:
I can e-mail you details, and another one hit near Grande prairie Alta.

This one is the biggest grizzly ever found! hock: hock:

[Iagoba]

Once I went to shool in a village with a boy who was bitten by a bear in his...back. Both were little (No more than a meter tall) so it left only a curious scar. The owner said thay the bears were safe to have in a 4 x 4 meter jail, and that they were friendly...
Years later they eat him.

I had forgotten this history until today. And we weren´t in the wild mountains...we had a Nuclear Central at 7´5 Km!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

This one stood 12 feet high, it would have looked you in the eye when on all fours, and could look over a single story bungalow when standing upright

[Peroni]

hock: hock:

[Bran ap Maclou]

Hello,

About Bearskins, I often see signifers wearing a north american Black bear skin (even in Europe). Normally, this should be Ursus arctos, the european Brown bear. Well, in France, only six remains, so that's not very easy to get, but in Russia, skins of bears from the same species are sold.

Personnally, I will never kick off a "black bear(-)ed signifer". That was just my two pences about bearskins.

Regards!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Yes, I would agree with you, beggars can't be choosers! But, if you can get a brown pelt all the better! Mind you I get the impression some brown bears are quite dark too....

[Marcus Mummius]

Hello,

About Bearskins, I often see signifers wearing a north american Black bear skin (even in Europe). Normally, this should be Ursus arctos, the european Brown bear. Well, in France, only six remains, so that's not very easy to get, but in Russia, skins of bears from the same species are sold.

Personnally, I will rever kick off a "black bear(-)ed signifer". That was just my two pences about bearskins.

Regards!

Do you have an adress of a company that sells brown bear skins?

I will probably settle for a brown coloured black bear. I don't want to use a black coloured black bear.

I'm still looking for a good skin though. Most skins without fake skulls seem to have very distorted heads... Can something be done about that?

Thanks for the answers.

And @Byron: that's one scary bear hock:

Vale,

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Check out the smaller one i just added above your post.... hock: