Treasure trove
A few of Katrina van Grouw’s favourite things...
Amy
The articulated skeleton of a female mallard, pictured on the previous page. Note the numerous flexible neck vertebrae and the keel, an enlarged and flattened extension of the breast bone. This anchors powerful pectoral muscles used in flight, which account for up to 40 per cent of its weight.
Cat Boy
Katrina and Hein’s pet cat, pictured right – largely bald due to his partSphynx ancestry. Hairlessness reveals the underlying feline structure – for example, the true size of the ears, which in most breeds of domestic cat is usually obscured by fur.
Apothecary jars
Some of Katrina’s large collection of domestic cat skulls has been artfully arranged in the old apothecary jars below. Amassing them has involved a huge amount of correspondence to get the necessary legal permissions from the animals’ former owners.
Oological drawer
Antique drawers, shown below right, that once belonged to oologists, or egg collectors, are ideal for storing skulls. With faded labels that no longer match the contents, Katrina's collection includes numerous skulls of the crested duck, a domesticated breed with an unusual hole in the cranium that in living birds is covered by a feathery pompom.
Mantelpiece
In the dining room, the heavy stone lintel over the fireplace you can see middle right, is engraved with one of Katrina’s favourite quotations from St Thomas Aquinas: Ubi aves ibi angeli, which roughly means ‘Where there are birds, there too are angels.’