I have received the zebra hide and I am very impressed with the skin and also the exceptional service. I am also grateful for the method that you took in shipping my product to alleviate some of my costs ,it was not necessary on your part but is much appreciated. Since returning from Africa ,I have been trying to purchase some Zulu shields but have not been successful in my efforts. Would you be able to recommend someone . You run a very professional business and I look forward to doing business with you in the future. Needless to say I will recommend your firm when possible.

Joseph, Canada

Thank you so very much for sending us the replacement egg.  It is beautiful and arrived in perfect condition.  I have never before received a more carefully packed shipment.  It took me at least 10 minutes to unwrap it.  We have ordered Herend from Hungary and Lalique crystal from Switzerland and bone china from Harrod’s that were not packed as well. It is such a pleasure to have done business with you.  We only hope that someday we will be able to return to Cape town and thank you in person.  Until then we will just have to recommend you to any of our friends who have the good fortune to visit ” Sud Afrique”.

 Howard, Florida, USA

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Each glass and pewter napkin ring has been carefully designed to represent one of Africa’s magnificent animals, in an elegant and understated way. Painstakingly sculpted pewter reliefs of the animals perch ergonomically upon perfectly cast clear glass rings creating an overall object that is as much art work as dinner piece.

Appealing to any African wildlife enthusiasts tastes, these glass and pewter napkin rings come in a wide range of animal designs. For the cat lovers, you can choose from, thick-maned, roaring lion, sleek cheetah and stalking leopard designs. For the avid Safari goer, or safari dreamer, you have the choice of the magnificent African elephant, lively cape buffalo, shy rhinoceros,  voluptuous hippo or jogging warthog effigies. The  regal sable and kudu with their uniquely shaped horns, the quirky ostrich, lofty giraffe and the playfully striped zebra are also represented in these artfully created depictions. There is even a contribution for those who have scuba’d off  African shores: The bashful yet beautiful angel fish.

Kottlers offer all these designs in 2 different sizes. You can choose between either the smaller glass and pewter napkin, with an inner diameter of only 1″, or the larger version, with an inner diameter of 1.18″.

Each design is available individually so you can select the number and the designs that suit you. Whether you want the big 5, the big cats, or a table full of angel fish, the choice is yours. What better way to finish off your dinner setting than with an elegant, perfectly cast glass and pewter napkin ring to remind you of your time in Africa, or of your dream to go there!

To purchase a set of these beautiful Glass and pewter napkin rings, all you need to click the link below, which will take you directly to Kottlers online store. Glass and Pewter Napkins

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Today Zimbabwean artist, Owen Muringani, is continuing the ancient tradition of ostrich egg carving by using a dentists’ drill to carve intricate designs on ostrich eggs. Owen’s repertoire of designs is influenced by his African heritage and includes the Big Five and African landscapes. His work also features some less distinctly African designs such as swirls and dots and moon and star patterns. Each egg requires eight hours of detailed and precision work to ensure that the egg is transformed into a work of art.

At Kottlers of Cape Town we believe that the best art is also functional. Any of Owen’s ostrich egg lamp artworks can be transformed into a lamp lit from within by a 15W bayonet bulb. When converted into lamps the intricacy of the designs becomes even more pronounced as the light beams out from the carvings. Plugs for the Ostrich Egg Lamps can be customized depending on the country in which they will be used ensuring that you will be able to enjoy your newly acquired piece of functional art when you are back home.

If you would like to purchase one of our beautiful Carved Ostrich Eggs, you can find our selection on the online store by clicking here. Alternatively, if you would like to look at out collection of exquisite Ostrich Egg Lamps, you can visit our dedicated page to view your options and for more information.

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The Mountain and Plains Zebras are distinctly different, genetically speaking and do in point of fact look slightly different! Yes, they all have black and white stripes, and they all look like little ponies with bellies, and they all bray like high pitched donkeys, and yes, every Zebra’s stripe pattern is completely unique, like a fingerprint. But for the keen eyed observer there are definitely differences in size and patterning to be observed between species!

The Mountain Zebra is the smallest of the zebra species, built for climbing with sharp hooves and a more compact body. These Zebra have horse-like ears and a black muzzle and are the only zebra species to have developed a dewlap on their throats. The Mountain Zebra’s striping is wide but closely packed on the body. These stripes extend down the chest and under the front legs but leave most of the lower belly white. Over the neck and hindquarters the Mountain Zebras stripes become much broader and interspersed with larger areas of white. The hind legs horizontal stripes extend high up the hindquarters.

The Plains Zebra (otherwise called the Burchells Zebra) is the most common of the zebra species and is larger than the Mountain varieties. It’s ears are bigger and more rounded in shape than the small and horse-like ears of the Mountain Zebra. Like the Mountains Zebra, the Plains Zebra has a black muzzle but it’s striping is far broader. Both the black stripes and white spaces on the Plains Zebra are wider and more interspersed across the body, moving from vertical to horizontal from roughly the middle of the body. Depending on subspecies the horizontal white stripes across the hind quarters can widen considerably or cause the black stripe to fade out or vanish. Plains Zebra are also unique in that in many of the subspecies a more faint brown or grey shadow stripe will develop between black stripes, giving it a tri-colour effect. Their striping continues under their bellies, but unlike the Mountain species, in a number of the Plains subspecies, their leg striping often fades slightly toward the hoof, leaving the lower leg more white.

here are examples of different plains Zebra stripe variations. (images from: http://www.warrenphotographic.co.uk and http://www.ispyanimals.com)

When it comes to purchasing Zebra skins for rugs, gifts or general home decor, you will only really be able to purchase a Plains or Burchells Zebra skin, or occasionally a Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra Skin. This is because of restrictions on the hunting and trade of  Cape Mountain Zebra Skins owing to their being on CITES endangered species lists. Fortunately Plains Zebra offer the most variety in terms of pattern and colour making them more interesting for the purposes of decor.

Kottlers specialise in the trade of ethically procured Plains or Burchell’s Zebra Skins, and have done so for the last 116 years. Not only are Kottlers Zebra skins trophy grade but they also conform entirely to CITES standards, come with all the necessary paperwork to ensure a smooth purchase, import/export, shipping and delivery process.

If you would like to purchase a Zebra skin for your home, and you want to be certain it is both excellent quality and ethically acquired, you can speak to a member of the Kottlers team, or go directly to the Kottlers online store.

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This is, in fact, not the case. As it turns out there are 3 distinct species of Zebra, and 2 of these 3 species of Zebra have 2 and 5 living subspecies respectively.

But why does any of this matter to someone shopping for a Zebra skin you may ask? One would think, with so many species to choose from, Zebra skins would be a sort of “free for all” as far as shopping is concerned? It matters because, sadly, due to extensive overhunting in the past, a number of these different Zebra species and subspecies are not as prolific as they used to be. For this reason a number of these species are now listed on CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), prohibiting, or at least restricting the import, export and trade of these species to protect their survival.

What would this mean for you, the shopper? Well it means that if you purchase a Zebra skin that is listed on the CITES indexes, without the proper paperwork, you would be supporting illegal trade and probably poaching. Not a nice thought, especially if you are unaware! And there is nothing worse than purchasing something you really want, only to discover later that you were duped, or complicit in some sort of unpleasantness in it’s acquisition.

If you are planning to purchase a Zebra skin should look for a purveyor you can trust, and one who can you to guide you through the correct legal channels and procedures! Or better yet, take care of them for you.

When it comes to Zebra Skins the folk at Kottlers really know their stuff! After all they as a family have been dealing in Zebra skins and other uniquely African Curios, skins and gifts for 116 years! Kottlers have garnered a well deserved reputation for the excellent quality of their products, their exceptional service, and their integrity! If you purchase a Zebra skin through Kottlers, you are guaranteed not only the very best quality graded Zebra skin, but also that it is 100% legal and approved by CITES!

To order a Zebra Skin that comes with all these guarantees you can either go directly to the Kottlers online store, or you can contact Kottlers directly to discuss your preferences by clicking here.

*feature image from National Geographic online
*Grevy’s Zeba Image by James Warwick

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So to with Zebra skins. Perhaps not the mileage part, but certainly the rest. If you are interested in purchasing a Zebra skin, or 2 or 3, it’s a very good idea to get to know the different species, their status on CITES and why some are readily available for purchase while others are not.

When it comes to Zebra there are 2 main species, in South Africa:

The Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra)

• Cape Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra, zebra)
• Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra, hartmannea)

Both of the Mountain Zebra subspecies are listed on CITES. However while the Cape Mountain Zebra is regarded as endangered and falls under CITES Appendix 1, the Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, which is found in Namibia, is listed only as vulnerable, not endangered and is therefore listed under CITES Appendix 2. This means that it is possible to purchase a Hartmann’s Zebra skin, but only under very controlled conditions and with considerable paperwork.

The Plains Zebra (Equus quagga formerly Equus Burchelli) which is also referred to as the Common or Burchells Zebra.

• Crawshay’s Zebra (Equus quagga, crawshaii)
• Grant’s or Boehm’s Zebra (Equus quagga, boehmi)
• Chapman’s Zebra (Equus quagga, chapmani)
• Burchell’s or Damara Zebra (Equus quagga, burchellii and now including what was formerly Equus quagga antiquorum)
• Maneless Zebra (Equus quagga, borensis)
• Selous Zebra (Equus quagga, selousi)
• Quagga (Equus quagga, quagga)(extinct)

Plains or Burchells Zebras are the most prolific and therefore quite common. This means they are not listed on CITES, making their skins the best choice for purchase.

Kottlers of Cape Town, as a company, have been specialising in the trade of Zebra skins for over 100 years, and have earned an excellent reputation for the quality of their skins as well as their ethical procurement. Through Kottlers you can purchase either a beautiful trophy grade Burchell’s Zebra Skin, or, in very special cases and only with the correct paperwork and processes, a trophy grade Hartmann’s Zebra Skin.

To discuss a Zebra skin purchase with them, or to place an order with complete peace of mind, you can either visit the Kottlers online shop, or contact the Kottlers team directly.

All the information presented here has been compiled using the following resources:
http://www.cites.org,
http://www.edgeofexistence.org,
http://www.quaggaproject.org,
http://en.wikipedia.org

*featured image from National Geographic Online

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