Walking around Creel and Gow, I marveled at the rare but not endangered species preserved in lifelike taxidermies, each having died of natural causes. One of my favorites was the vulturine guinea fowl, a large black bird with subtle touches of blue and purple feathers, and I found myself staring at the set of skull-shaped billiard balls for more than a few moments.
The heart of this unique shop started in 1996 with silver-plated Ruzetti and Gow seashells. Italian-imported, the shells were strongly demanded as elegant, nostalgic glorifications of Mother Nature. In 2012, the boutique was rebranded under partners Jamie Creel, an avid collector, and Christopher Gow, a sculptural specialist, to be devoted entirely to rare and exotic nature-related finds.
The co-owners' favorite part of the business is traveling around the world in pursuit of extraordinary objects. "We look for the weird and wonderful," Jamie explained. A malachite set of obelisks, customarily gifted for university graduates, was sourced from Congo, a classical lapis lazuli box from Afghanistan, and coral pieces from dead reefs in the Solomon Islands.
"We supply gifts for people who are difficult to buy for," Christopher commented. A fully preserved zebra stands proudly in the back, a glass case conceals a deconstructed lobster and, perhaps the oldest item in the shop, a fossil of sea urchins comes from the Mesozoic era. "We have everything," he added. If it fits the category of mineral, plant or animal, they certainly do.
