An Early 20thC Mounted Taxidermy Giant Tortoise Head; Dated to 1909 Ascension IslandOrigin: Ascension Island, South Atlantic Ocean Period: Early Twentieth Century Provenance: Unknown Date: c. 1909 Shield Height: 14. 5 inches Shield Width: 11 inches Depth (with Head): 11. 5 inches Presenting Colonel Merrill the giant tortoise, preserved and mounted in the Edwardian era upon a mahogany shield. Colonel Merrill was a giant of a creature at 280 kg and a giant of a personality. The volcanic island, Ascension Island, was garrisoned by the