Papier mâché lions head, with nice coloured patina in off-white, black and red. The head was used for taxidermy in the 19th century. When preparing a taxidermy specimen, while the skin dries out, the mould is prepared. Older methods of creating moulds include wireframes and paper mâché. For most taxidermy projects, one realizes, it involves mounting skin over an animal. The preparation for such task often was a papier mâché mould, which taxidermist also used to make small accessories, such as ears and eyes. It was often also used to fill unnatural lines and finishing touches of the taxidermy, in overall good original condition for its age.