Accessorizing With Taxidermy

Julia deVille’s creepy "twilight" creations are based on the artists obsession with Memento Mori jewelery of the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries and Victorian Mourning jewelery. "I find the acceptance of death in these periods fascinating," she says.

DeVille works with gold and silver and likes to combine them with materials that were once living, such as jet (petrified wood), human hair and taxidermy, as a tribute to Memento Mori, a reminder of our mortality.

Although some would find the collection quite morbid, the artist considers her taxidermy collection to be a "celebration of life," and only works with animals that have died of natural causes (I’m still scared!).

In the Gallery:

1. "Bird Pin" including a bird, natural diamonds, 9ct & 18ct gold.

2. "Bird Skull" sterling silver and cubic zirconium

3. "Mouse-Pin" with a mouse, natural rubies, sterling silver and gold

4. "Prey" brooch in sterling silver, mouse and natural topaz

5. "Sterling Silver Mouse" with natural emeralds

6. "Kitten Trophy Rug" with Kitten, glass and clay

7. "Still Born" Kitten, clay, wooden wool and wire

8. "Gunclub" Jet, mouse, natural diamonds and gold

9. "Talon ring" in sterling silver

10. "Short spats with lace" black leather, lace, antique brass zip (OK, not jewelery, but pretty cool!)

Creepy or cool, I haven’t decided ...