Born in London and now residing in the sunny south coast town of Brighton, my love of birds sparked my first fascination with taxidermy a good few years ago now. It was the hats worn by aristocratic ladies of the 19th century that were often adorned with tropical birds to display wealth, represented by travel, that inspired me to learn taxidermy myself.

My initial project was to pay tribute to the humble street pigeon. The overlooked bird for me symbolized the hidden beauty that can lie anywhere if you look hard enough. With this in mind I embarked on my first adventure to make my own taxidermy feathered bird hat featuring the humble pigeon. It is a piece I am most proud of and has been displayed in both London and Brighton, and is a part of my personal collection, and wardrobe.
Since then I have made a gold finch fascinator, a skirt from a brace of pheasants, and I am currently working on a commission of fox head headphones.
It is from my very first bird however that I have developed this collection of jewellery. I made moulds of the pigeon feet using the sand casting method, casting them initially in brass. Over time I have developed this range of pendants, necklaces brooches and rings. I make all my jewellery by hand so no two pieces are the same. I also accept commissions if there is a birth stone or favourite gem which you would like.

For images of my bird hats and other work please visit my website:
www.tessametcalfe.co.uk