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SIREN of the FIDJI
19th century
Bone, paper mache, vegetable fibers and mummified fish
H. 7 ; L. 32 cm
(slight accident, mounted on a base)
Anthropozoomorphic creature, it presents a taxidermic assembly which borrows an anthropomorphic skull overmodelled with eyes, a fine nose and a small moustachioed mouth, and from the fish the termination of its body. Arms with palmate hands made of papier-mâché are associated with it, as well as vegetable fibers to show its hair.
Fiji mermaids are known to be fairground attractions in the 1820s in Europe. Their origin seems to be Japanese and the first recorded ones would date back to the 1800s. Later, in the 1840's, the founder of the Barnum Circus, Phineas Taylor Barnum, decided to display a specimen at his fairs and shows in New York.
The curiosity of this creature is multiplied by its distant origins: the seas of the South Pacific, near the Fiji Islands.
Text and photos © FCP CORIDON
Ref.LP : 3237
Ref: QZHAU66QMF
Style | Other style (Objects of curiosity of Other style Style) |
Century | 19th century (Objects of curiosity 19th century) |
Materials |
Shipping Time | Ready to ship in 2-3 Business Days |
Location | 93400, Saint-Ouen, France |
FCP CORIDON
N'oubliez pas de rappeler à l'Antiquaire que vous avez vu cet objet sur Antikeo.
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