The heads of bearskins

[Marcus Mummius]

Well, it's a definite possibility.
ONE FOR SALE ON EBAY BUT BE QUICK

I was the quick one! I also managed to get it for £200 less than the asking price!

Thanks Jim, well spotted! :wink:

Lucky man. I'm VERY jalous I wished I had an ebay account ready for this. For the price you paid I'd have bought it too. This is the price range I'm hoping to find one for too.

My own search continues.

Vale,
Jef

[P. Clodius Secundus]

Here's a shot of my bear, Elvira. She's about 1.5m from snout to tail. I won't say what I paid, but you got a good deal. I'd prefer to have a nice cinnamon brown bear like Gallio from Leg XXIV, but don't tell her that. She was pretty much a gift from some old friends. I will keep my eyes open for any other such deals. We've got quite a few bears around here. I've got her semi-permanently mounted on a reworked trooper helmet (quick... burn the heretic, but save the pelt!). I got sick of unhooking her from my "Sunday-go-to-Temple" helmet to join the shield wall so I dug into the scrap pile and made her a cheap home. Luckily, the fur hides most of the worst elements. The only real work was reshaping the cheekpieces. I am thinking of removing the lower jaw and fitting a set of upper dentures, but I'll wait and do more research before doing something drastic.

[Bran ap Maclou]

And what about the eyes ? Quite often I remember that I saw modern reallistic glass eyes on the skins. What do you think they were doing in roman times ?

Glass eyes ?
Jewels ?
Metal ?
Nothing ?

Regards

Greg

[Marcus Mummius]

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

I believe Adrian is right...

[Titus Aetius]

Well Peroni, you can call yourself a lucky man.
That's one very fine skin

As Jef and the rest of you, I'm also interested (of course, it's something special and you can't call it quite cheap :roll: ).

[Ironhand]

I honestly don't think they would make glass eyes for a skin. I honestly can't think of one reason why they would do that. The goal was not to make the skin look like it did when it was living which is why taxidermists do it.

[Peroni]

The Romans did inlay the eyes of statuary with coral and other materials though.

[Gaivs Antonivs Satvrninvs]

Marcus Mummius, have you asked these guys? http://www.horsetailsandsuch.com/

[Sextus Aurelius Propertiu]

Hi Marcus

According my opinion and the most important : my visits in such places , you can find some good bear skins in big flea's markets . It is obvious these skins are older than fresh skins but it is ecologically more correct..As that, being roman re-enactor and environnment respectful person remains happily possible ..

regards

Sextus Aurelius Propertius
pcc Eris-alexandre POHER

[Sextus Aurelius Propertiu]

Marcus

Pour plus de précisions sur ce sujet, il existe prés de Paris des vendeurs spécialisés, aux puces de Saint-Ouen trés précisément qui parfois commercialisent de vieux trophées de chasse ..

Bonne recherche

Sextus pcc EAP

[Ironhand]

Honestly, I think the cheapest way would be to make connections within hunting circles. Those who do it as a business will treat it like that and you'll pay accordingly, but make a few friends and I'm sure you could find a great deal. There are probably more than a few people willing to part with an old bearskin cheaply if they know you and like you. Trade (especially if you have a wanted craft skill) might be an option when dealing with people personlly as well where it wouldn't with a business.

[M. Demetrius]

Rawhide bearskin won't do much good, though, for the purpose of actually wearing it, though that might be ok for a rug. Some way or another, the owner will either have to tan the leather or get that process done, somewhere.

In Texas, the American Black Bear, any hue, is a protected species. In Canada and Colorado, the same bear is not a protected species. So to wear a bearskin in Texas would require some pretty convincing documentation to prevent arrest and confiscation of the skin by a Zealous Enforcer.

I think if ever I became a signifer or other skin wearer, and was required to get a skin, I'd probably just buy a big coyote pelt and call it a wolf, knowing that's not genuinely documentable. Being arrested might very well be authentic, but not desirable, least not for me. It's not easy to tell small wolf from large coyote, unless you've really studied the hides. And that barking, barking, barking German Shepherd next door, well, he looks kind of wolfish...nuff said.

[P. Clodius Secundus]

In Texas, the American Black Bear, any hue, is a protected species. In Canada and Colorado, the same bear is not a protected species. So to wear a bearskin in Texas would require some pretty convincing documentation to prevent arrest and confiscation of the skin by a Zealous Enforcer.

Strange how a lack of documentation for an old rug could get you arrested, but not having any documentation for your own skin gets you free medical care. :? Seriously though, It's wise to check into local laws before traveling with furs or weapons.

[M. Demetrius]

Don't get me started on that one, Frater Clodius!

[Caius Fabius]

modern politics warning!
desist please