A rare late Victorian diorama of a Red Squirrel tea party

A rare tableau of Red Squirrels was sold at auction in the UK in 2026

Dated circa 1880-1890 it fetched £8,255.

Attributed to Walter Potter, Victorian Taxidermist known for his whimsical dioramas

photo credit: Woolley and Wallis, Auctioneers

A rare find

This is a rare find, and comes 23 years after the sale of the original Walter Potter collection by Bonhams in 2003. Although it was not included in the original Walter Potter sale, it is reminiscent of the now-famous “The Kittens Wedding”.

In this regional auction sale in the UK, the auctioneer describes the lot as: The anthropomorphic tableau depicting twelve red squirrels, seven seated around a table eating and drinking, with miniature items of cutlery, glassware and crockery one squirrel wiping his mouth with a napkin with initials ‘E J M’ and five as a band playing musical instruments including a cello, violin and a French horn, in a glazed giltwood and composition display case on stand

The Kittens’ Wedding c. 1880: Walter Potter

The Upper Ten or The Squirrels’ Club c. 1880: Walter Potter

The Guinea Pigs’ Cricket Match c. 18970: Walter Potter

2023 Bonham's Sale of The Walter Potter Collection

The original Walter Potter Collection sale in 2003

Walter Potter, the Victorian taxidermist, is known for his whimsical dioramas featuring small animals such as kittens, rabbits, squirrels, and birds enacting uncannily human scenes, from table games to afternoon tea. Potter began creating his playful taxidermies aged 15, eventually gaining such attention that he opened the Walter Potter Taxidermy Museum in 1880 in Bramber, Sussex, which enabled him to capitalize upon the Victorians’ enthusiasm for the macabre. Potter combined skilled mounting with miniature props and highly detailed costumes, arranged in a theatrical manner to create scenes inspired by literature and by social and domestic rituals.

Over time these curiosities fell out of fashion, and the collection was auctioned and dispersed in 2003, with many tableaux now belonging to private collectors worldwide-cherished for their unconventional charm. His work reflects Victorian sentimentality, curiosity culture, and a fascination with anthropomorphism, leaving behind a legacy that is arguably iconic yet unsettling in equal measure.

See Bonhams, The Sale of the Contents of Mr Potter’s Museum of Curiosities, 23rd September 2003 for related examples including: lot 293 the ‘The Kittens Wedding’, which sold for £21,150 (including premium).

The Kittens’ Wedding is now in the USA.

This article is part of the Taxidermy Today section. Explore more research here →