A taxidermist constructing a complex artificial rib cage framework over a buffalo armature inside a museum workshop 插畫檔

This historical print captures an advanced stage of scientific taxidermy in France during the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, detailing the manual craftsmanship required to reconstruct large mammal displays. The composition focuses on a taxidermist kneeling on the workshop floor, using a hammer to meticulously attach bent wooden slats and a gridded framework that forms the complete artificial skeleton (squelette artificiel complet) and volumetric torso of a large water buffalo. The life-sized structure already features an authentic skull with massive curved horns mounted onto the head assembly, while the articulated legs are wrapped to simulate muscle volume. On a wooden table to the left, a small sculpted reference model of a buffalo rests alongside scattered workshop tools, providing an invaluable archival record of the intersection between sculpture, anatomy, and zoological preservation methods employed by natural history museums during this era.