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Lot Essay
The Giant Deer (or 'Irish Elk') lived during the Pleistocene Period of the Great Ice Age. It probably originated in Siberia but migrated westward under the influence of increasing cold. Its range extended over a wide part of central Europe and Asia and the largest concentration of its remains have been found in Ireland, chiefly in the marl underlying bogland. This marl has a high calcium carbonate content, which assists in preserving the bones.
The majority of these ancient antlers were discovered in caves in Counties Waterford, Cork and Clare. They have long been a feature of the Irish banqueting hall and are particularly suited to the Scottish baronial style. Among the most celebrated examples of the extinct Giant Deer were those displayed at Rathfarnham Castle in the 1580s (A sketch is preserved in the National Museum of Ireland and is illustrated in A. Crookshank and the Knight of Glin, Irish Watercolours, London, 1994, pl. 30).
During the 19th century such antiquarian relics joined the sporting trophies as essential features of the baronial hall. Those hung in the new manor at Adare, Co. Limerick were illustrated in a drawing executed in the 1850s (see J. Cornforth, English Interiors 1790-1848, London, 1978, fig. 51.)
The largest known pair sold at auction measured 115 in. (292 cm.) wide, and came originally from Powerscourt, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow (Christie's, London, 14 June 2001, lot 5).
The majority of these ancient antlers were discovered in caves in Counties Waterford, Cork and Clare. They have long been a feature of the Irish banqueting hall and are particularly suited to the Scottish baronial style. Among the most celebrated examples of the extinct Giant Deer were those displayed at Rathfarnham Castle in the 1580s (A sketch is preserved in the National Museum of Ireland and is illustrated in A. Crookshank and the Knight of Glin, Irish Watercolours, London, 1994, pl. 30).
During the 19th century such antiquarian relics joined the sporting trophies as essential features of the baronial hall. Those hung in the new manor at Adare, Co. Limerick were illustrated in a drawing executed in the 1850s (see J. Cornforth, English Interiors 1790-1848, London, 1978, fig. 51.)
The largest known pair sold at auction measured 115 in. (292 cm.) wide, and came originally from Powerscourt, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow (Christie's, London, 14 June 2001, lot 5).