Iktomi

I have been working on Iktomi since before the "fur replacement tutorial!" 3/11

I hand carved his headform from the neck scrap from a used coyote ped. form

Completed: head 4/25/11, body ?/?/11(still requires a small amount of work)
Name: Iktomi, Lakota for "trickster spirit"
Type of work: Soft Mount Taxidermy
YES: all but tail is armatured, his hind quarters boast my new armature formula
No: posable ears
WIP: cosmedic work needs to be done on feet ie. pads, nails, & face
WIP: Containment Weighted to be added
NO: floppily stuffed? - No, he is stuffed hard, he is a "soft mounted life size" - not nearly floppy enough to pose in a sleeping position - by choice
Eyes: coyote eyes
Type of coyote: mature male, from northern PA, wild, population control, LEGALLY HARVESTED
Where did you get his pelt ?: from a hunter/seller who prepped the hide for taxidermy and had it pro tanned, clearance item
SIZE: About the size of your typical lab dog. May have weighed as much as 48 pounds before he was taken, possibly more. Estimated AGE: 5+ years old before taken
LENGTH: after tanning 44" from tip of nose to end of rump
WHY do you call him a "Soft Mount Taxidermy": He has a traditionally mounted and carved by me taxidermy head form, and taxidermy glass eyes. However the rest of his body is lovingly stuffed mainly for erect, lying down display.

Notes: his ears look 'glued on' because I tied the leather cord of the feathers around the base of his ears. In addition, he is anotomically correct, scrotum/testicals, and anus. Other then his head, no other part was hydrated. He was sewn dry. His hide was VERY thick in places, and with the work that needed to be done, I didn't want to deal with what would later become stiff. It took me 7 straight hours to make and install his leg armature(including the upper body), sew, weight and stuff all of of his legs as well. He has noteable hip, ankle, and knee joints, that move and 'flex.' The rest of his upper body armature is posable in the traditional way. He has NO spine.

His Shaman garb was also made by me using coyote bone and claw, along with turquoise, wood, agate, and a few other semi pres. stones. I did cut, and hand drill several of the 'beads.'