#fox skull

Grey fox skull display!

Finally finished!

My gorgeous fox skull is finally done. It’s been a journey that’s for sure.

I found this beautiful creature passed away in a ditch and I waited months before I collected the remains that I could carry. I admit it was not pretty, it wasn’t fully decomposed and I wore gloves, mask and double bagged everything!

Over the last (almost a year) the skull has been degreasing and finally it was in a state that I was able to give it a couple of baths in hydrogen peroxide to remove some staining and even out the colour.

I’ve reattached the teeth using PVA as advised by a taxidermist as it means if I ever need to remove them that it’s just a case of soaking it.

The lower jaw which has split into two is being held together with a strong fine thread which is also totally removable.

As this fox is local and was found within a 5 minute walk from my front door I do feel a connection that I can’t ignore. It would have traipsed through the same foraging ground as me, explored the bramble patches and It may have even been seen by myself at some point.

My practice is very nature based and I try my hardest to utilise what my local landscape can provide for me, from the berries on the bushes to the pebbles on the beach and I’m so grateful for this gift and will honour the beautiful fox.

I am in the process of cleaning some leg bones still as well as smaller foot bones which I hope to use in an osteomancy set for myself and in time, one for my son.

I’m sure once I’ve finished collecting all the items I want for my set, I will share that too!

I’ve been waiting to collect these remains for a while now and I finally did it.

This beautiful creature passed away in a ditch that was half full of water and now 6 months later it’s dry and just about passable through all the nettles.

This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, a number of years ago it wouldn’t have been mine. As I’ve gotten older and watched members of my family have their bodies fail them and held their hands as they passed, death and my view on it has shifted significantly.

For those interested, it’s a fox. The remains I have collected will be cleaned and be utilised in my craft which is very much based on what my local landscape provides.

I very rarely work with ingredients that I’ve not foraged for or grown myself and I feel this is another way of making a connection.

**All words and images are my own, please make sure that credit is in place if you reblog or share it**

Not the greatest pictures but here’s the fox skull my sister got me.