The hall immediately impresses with its dimensions: it covers an area of approximately 200 m2 (about 2,160 ft2); its height reaches a full 8 m (26 ft.). A vaulted ceiling with pointed caps spans the entire room. As a remnant of the former false ceiling, a gallery opens up to reveal the cases of specimens lining the upper floor.
On the walls of the lower floor are 15 elegant showcases integrated into the ornate, wraparound wood paneling. Some cases are crowned by the busts of famous naturalists, flanked by cherubs. Atop other showcases, cherubs with fruit garlands rest alongside fire urns. Carved allegories of classical elements - fire, water, earth and air - function as lintels over the four rounded corners of the lower level. The decorative picture carvings are from Franconian artist Georg Joseph Mutschele, whose name was widely known at the time.
A large, multi-section row of display cabinets stand poised in the center of the room. They were not incorporated into the space until the second half of the 19th century. Particularly eye-catching are four pyramidal and obelisk-like display cases, in which a hummingbird, egg and nest collection are housed. The primary color of the room is white; the shelves of the display cases, however, are offset in vibrant blue.
The alabaster walls, the interlacing ovals on the gallery balustrades, the neatly organized pattern of the embellishments, and both the pyramid and obelisk-shaped display cases crowned by flaming urns are all attributed to the early classical style. The lavish representations of cherubs and fruit, on the other hand, send clear indications of the preceding epoch of Baroque art.
The hall of birds