Great Auk Replica Skull 1-1 scale
It is not widely publicised, but the great auk was the original penguin. Native to the North Atlantic, and thus the British Isles. The Welsh words of “pen” (meaning head) and “gwyn” (meaning white) were used to describe this species which in life had white spots between its eyes and bill. When Europeans visited the Southern hemisphere and saw similar looking birds, they naturally called them “penguins”.
Sadly the great auk was declared extinct in 1844 after over hunting. Ironically, once it had become scarce, demand from museums and institutions made it all the more profitable to remove from the wild/kill outright.
Our great auk skull is an original sculpt by Nova Studios and is exclusive to our shop. An amalgamation of 6 different referenced skulls all in museum collections, it represents a “species average” and removes the infiltration of taxidermy practice or reconstructive attempts so the end result is a purer representation than a one-off casting may be of a specific specimen. It also has a complete internal structure for those astute enough to notice, meaning you can peer inside and see the braincase.
Our paint application for the standalone skull features a reddish brown which fades to a bone white finish near the top of the cranium. This is to simulate the natural processes of a skull which would be found in natural elements - the red and brown stains from bacteria and ferrous minerals found in seawater, and the bleaching effect of the sun. It is meant to appear as though it was collected in nature.
Our product comes in two parts: a mandible and a skull.
There is a discreetly placed 2mm hole at the back of the skull to allow for mounting/fixing.
It is not widely publicised, but the great auk was the original penguin. Native to the North Atlantic, and thus the British Isles. The Welsh words of “pen” (meaning head) and “gwyn” (meaning white) were used to describe this species which in life had white spots between its eyes and bill. When Europeans visited the Southern hemisphere and saw similar looking birds, they naturally called them “penguins”.
Sadly the great auk was declared extinct in 1844 after over hunting. Ironically, once it had become scarce, demand from museums and institutions made it all the more profitable to remove from the wild/kill outright.
Our great auk skull is an original sculpt by Nova Studios and is exclusive to our shop. An amalgamation of 6 different referenced skulls all in museum collections, it represents a “species average” and removes the infiltration of taxidermy practice or reconstructive attempts so the end result is a purer representation than a one-off casting may be of a specific specimen. It also has a complete internal structure for those astute enough to notice, meaning you can peer inside and see the braincase.
Our paint application for the standalone skull features a reddish brown which fades to a bone white finish near the top of the cranium. This is to simulate the natural processes of a skull which would be found in natural elements - the red and brown stains from bacteria and ferrous minerals found in seawater, and the bleaching effect of the sun. It is meant to appear as though it was collected in nature.
Our product comes in two parts: a mandible and a skull.
There is a discreetly placed 2mm hole at the back of the skull to allow for mounting/fixing.