THE COLLECTION OF ROE DEER ANTLERS IN THE CASTLE OF ERBACH ODENWALD/

The historical collection of roe deer antlers at the castle of Erbach in the Odenwald is with its 600 trophies the most extensive in Germany . This collection was founded by the COUNT FRANZ T. ZU ERBACH-ERBACH ( 1754-1823) and was arranged in its present form at castle Erbach by hi s grandson COUNT EBERHARD ZU ERBACH-ERBACH (1818-1884). According to t he catalog of 1876 this collection already numbered 565 trophies. This study includes 416 antler trophies of the collection, 316 of which ar e anomalies. Presented are 10 of the best quality antlers according to guidelines of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conserv ation (CIC) (Table 1 and Figs. 4-13). The question of the origins of t he trophies is discussed, not excluding the possibility that specimens carrying such large trophies were hunted during the Middle Ages in Ge rmany. The distribution of the 316 antler anomalies studied is compare d to the occurrence of such anomalies among roe deer trophy shows from 1960-1994 (Tables 2 and 3, Fig. 14-21). The culturally significant, l arge format and illustrated trophy catalog for roe deer antlers by C. KEHRER, published by EBERHARD COUNT OF ERBACH-ERBACH in 1876 is descri bed (Figs. 22-25). The illustrations af roe bucks by the engraver JOHA NN ELIAS RIDINGER (1688-1767) are referred to (Figs. 26-27).