The famous lion from Gripsholm castle in Sweden is possibly the worst piece of taxidermy that has miraculously survived the passing of time. The playful tongue, bright playful teddy bear eyes and the smiling herbivore teeth make this lion look more comical than Pixar could have. Together with some other animals and a ‘freed slave’ that became the animals keeper, the lion was a gift to King Frederik I of Sweden in 1731. Alike most makers that are heralded on this page, there is no doubt that an alive lion was still an unknown concept for this taxidermist. Also, it doesn’t help that the lion’s remains were only sent to the taxidermist a few years after it’s death.
Some theorize that the lion’s tongue is based upon the image of a heraldic lion. What is more fascinating to me is how the symbolics addressed to lions somehow went by unnoticed, instead the lion was imagined as a whole different animal that could be strong, innocent and loyal, alike a domesticated dog. An alternative theory is that the alcohol needed to clean the remains of the lion proved to be a bit too much for the poor taxidermist.
There is not a whole lot of reliable history when it comes to the Gripsholm lion. However, as the lion is famous, there are plenty of cool websites that will tell you more about it.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-lion-of-gripsholm-castle-strangnas-sweden
http://www.ulrikagood.com/2011/04/lion-of-gripshoms-castle.html
http://mentalfloss.com/article/27487/lion-gripsholm-castle
