Tasso and Erminia

Tasso the Stuffed European Badger

I’m happy to introduce the latest additions to bavastudio, even if a pivot from 80s aesthetic. While walking though a flea market in Trento last weekend I spotted a couple of stuffed animals (in the taxidermical sense) that I would normally pay no mind. But once you have a diorama, everything becomes a subject for a diorama. Anyway, the European Badger featured above was the first to catch my eye, and I immediately thought of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) dioramas—in many ways where this weird diorama hang-up all started.

American Museum of Natural History diorama featuring the American Badger in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Photo: C. Chesek/© AMNH

The AMNH  is the greatest museum ever, but not because I necessarily love science, biology, or even animals, rather because the majority of that museum is made up of the most awesome dioramas ever. The whole thing is like strolling through a cinema of wildlife tableaux, the lights are dimmed and the action surrounds you as you move from one diorama to the next. How can you not love the intensity of the life-size frozen moment featuring a pack of wild dogs surrounding a Sambar:

Or the unsuspecting hare being stalked by a lynx:

Canada Lynx stalks Snowshoe Hare diorama at AMNH

These scenes were imprinted on my adolescent brain during childhood field trips through those landscape stage designs featuring various stuffed animals as the talent. I’ve returned to that museum innumerable times since (more recently with my kids in tow) and it’s absolutely ground zero for the idea of building a life-size window diorama at bavastudio. So, when I saw Tasso and his sidekick Erminia (pictured below) on a random table at the local market I couldn’t help but think we have to do a diorama in the style of those from the AMNH.

Erminia the stuffed Ermine

For now the pair are just part of the offie scenery, and they fit in surprisingly well—something I was not expecting.

Tasso the European Badger in bavastudio with teeth showing and claws out

The initial idea for the diorama is to have the bottom third of the window reveal a badger tunnel system, featuring Tasso walking through its domain. Whereas the upper two-thirds reproduce a scene similar to the American Badger in Jackson Hole, Wyoming from the AMNH, but just change the backdrop to highlights the beautiful Dolomiti that help define the natural wonder of the Trentino region. Given Erminia’s reaction/pose, it might make sense to have it be a reaction to a raptor trying to have her for lunch. Maybe a Eurasian Goshawk swooping in for the kill?

Eurasian Goshawk finishing up lunch

I’m not necessarily a fan of stuffing animals, and I have no plans on pursuing something “custom,” but if there’s something already made that could be used to help create a multi-level, dynamic nature scene worthy of the AMNH dioramas it would be a fun way to pay homage to a brilliantly conceived museum that has dioramas at the very heart of their educational mission.