ABU DHABI // If your plain old leather sofa is starting to bore you, Michel Haillard may have the answer: a chaise longue made of alligator and goat skins, with zebu horns for armrests. A complete set of the French artist's taxidermy-style furniture can also include armchairs made of zebra and ostrich skins, a buffalo hide loveseat with decorative hippo teeth and antelope horns, and a crocodile coffee table. Nearly all of the pieces have the animals' tails draping to the floor.
The fixtures were on display for sale at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (Adihex) this weekend priced from €10,000 to €30,000 (Dh 50,000 to Dh150,000). That's a lot of euros. "People are intrigued by this kind of furniture as art, but it's also quite comfortable," said Daniel Goldmann, who oversaw the exhibit at Adihex. Mr Goldmann is the owner of Galerie Omagh in Paris, where Mr Haillard's pieces are sold.
Mr Haillard has been making the furniture for 15 years from stuffed animals or furs he finds at flea markets. He is occasionally commissioned for works and provided with raw materials from customers who want to sit on a specific animal. He calls his line "Infernal Furniture." "I create this furniture to make people dream, and to give life back to these animals," Mr Haillard said. "I get bad reactions sometimes, but if it causes any emotional reaction then that's a good thing."
He uses real skin because "the more real it is, the more you find yourself immersed in a certain story about the animal," he said. Mr Haillard has to get special authorisation from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) for some of the animals that he uses. Buyers receive the Cites trade certificate with their purchase. It is possible to get a trade certificate for material if the product does not represent a threat to the species. There is also an antique or so-called pre-convention certificate for materials that are older than the Cites treaty.
Mr Haillard has worked as a freelance cartoonist and in advertising. His other artwork involves sculptures and animated films. Mohammed Aneefa studied the furniture during his visit to Adihex and said he was impressed by their high quality. Still, he said he wasn't sure if the feelings they conjured up were anger or admiration for what he saw, and whether it was something he wanted to look at on a regular basis.
"I was thinking to buy it, but only because it is unique and interesting," he said. "Maybe it would make a good gift. Never would I put it in my house."
econroy@thenational.ae
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Company%20profile
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
