Over the past week or so we have been showing you pictures that I took during my visit to the Buckhorn museum in San Antonio, back in November 2004. Once again, this particular image sparked up a reaction in Richard Freeman's psyche, and he writes: In Victorian times it was not uncommon for explorers to bring back stiffed ‘mermaids’ from the Far East. These bore little resemblance to the beautiful creatures of European myth looking more like aquatic monkeys. Most originated in Japan and were skilful composites were the top half of a monkey is stitched onto the bottom half of a large fish. This is done with such skill that the stitching can only be seen via an x-ray.
In Japan the mermaid is known as the ningyo and has ape like features. It is said that eating its flesh brings extreme long life. In the west these were commonly called Nondescripts.
The most famous was created in 1810 by a Japanese fisherman. It was bought by Dutch merchants who then, in 1822, resold it to an American sea captain, Samuel Barrett Eades, for $6000 (at the time, a huge amount of money). Eades had to sell his ship in order to afford the mermaid, but he hoped to make a fortune by exhibiting it in London. Unfortunately he didn’t own the ship and spent the rest of his life in debt!
His son sold the mermaid to PT Barnum who exhibited it in the UK and the USA. It was destroyed in a fire.
In Japan the mermaid is known as the ningyo and has ape like features. It is said that eating its flesh brings extreme long life. In the west these were commonly called Nondescripts.
The most famous was created in 1810 by a Japanese fisherman. It was bought by Dutch merchants who then, in 1822, resold it to an American sea captain, Samuel Barrett Eades, for $6000 (at the time, a huge amount of money). Eades had to sell his ship in order to afford the mermaid, but he hoped to make a fortune by exhibiting it in London. Unfortunately he didn’t own the ship and spent the rest of his life in debt!
His son sold the mermaid to PT Barnum who exhibited it in the UK and the USA. It was destroyed in a fire.
Other examples are in museums around the world and some of the oldest are kept in Japanese temples. The CFZ even has an excellent specimen skillfully created by the special effects wizard Alan Friswell. Thankfully he did not use a monkey!
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