Moose Figurine with Massive Palmate Antlers

This is the biggest hoofed figure Safari Ltd makes in its large format range, and the antlers are why. They spread sideways as two broad flattened blades, so the piece is wider than it is deep and needs about nine inches of clear shelf rather than the six its body suggests. Measure before it arrives and it will never be a problem.

• Wider than it looks. Blades reach past the shoulders, so allow about 9 inches across.
• Large format range. Sits in the maker's biggest size tier alongside the elephant.
• Bell under the jaw. The hanging skin flap is modeled, not smoothed away.
• 8.9 long, 6.75 tall. Substantial enough to anchor a group of smaller figures.

Palmate Blades, Not Tines

Palmate comes from the palm of a hand, and that is exactly the shape: two flat plates with points around the rim. Any figure that gives a moose branching antlers has confused it with an elk, which is the commonest error in the whole category. Standing the two side by side is the fastest lesson either piece can give.

Anchoring a Group

Scale across a wildlife range is nominal rather than measured, but this one is large enough to set the tone for anything arranged around it. Place it first and build outward. Nothing smaller sits comfortably in front of it, and a shelf arranged the other way round tends to get rebuilt.

The Bell and What It Signals

Nobody has fully settled what the dewlap under the jaw is for. The strongest evidence points to bulls working scent into it during the rut so it carries downwind. It shrinks with age in some animals and can freeze off in hard winters, which is why photographs of real moose disagree so wildly on this one feature.

Questions About the Moose Figure

How much shelf does it need? Around 9 inches across, since the antlers reach wider than the body.

Is it a big figure? Yes, it belongs to the maker's largest size tier at 8.9 inches long.

Are the antlers separate parts? No, they are part of a single casting, so there is no join to fail.

Suitable for a child? From three years, and it takes handling well for its size.