|
|
The Feejee Mermaid
$15 - $25
Dimensions:
cm: 12.7 x 17.78 in: 5 x 7 |
The Feejee mermaid (also Fiji mermaid) was an object comprising the torso and head of a juvenile monkey sewn to the back half of a fish. It was a common feature of sideshows, where it was presented as the mummified body of a creature that was supposedly half mammal and half fish, a version of a mermaid. The original object was exhibited by P. T. Barnum from 1842 until the 1860s when it was destroyed in a fire. The original had fish scales with animal hair superimposed on its body with pendulous breasts on its chest. The mouth was wide open with its teeth bared. The right hand was against the right cheek, and the left tucked under its lower left jaw. Several replicas and variations have also been made and exhibited under similar names and pretexts.
Mermaids had been presented at shows for centuries. These were often dugongs or people afflicted with sirenomelia. During the Renaissance and the Baroque eras, the remains of mermaids were a staple of cabinets of curiosities.
The Fiji Mermaid's Beginning People's knowledge of the Fiji Mermaid started when Samuel Barrett Edes bought it from Japanese sailors in 1822, which he purchased for $6000 (equal to roughly $137,000 in today's economy). In Edes' possession, it was displayed in London in 1822. The Fiji Mermaid was advertised in a publication by J. Limbird in the Mirror. After that, Edes willed the mermaid to his son, who sold it to Moses Kimball in 1842. Kimball brought the Fiji Mermaid to New York that summer to show P. T. Barnum. Before agreeing to exhibit the Fiji Mermaid, Barnum had his naturalist examine it. His naturalist could not conserve how it would have been manufactured because of the teeth and fins, but he said it had to be fake because he did not believe mermaids were real. However, despite his naturalist's beliefs, Barnum hired it for his exhibit. Kimball would remain the creature's sole owner and Barnum would lease it for $12.50 a week. Barnum christened his artifact "The Feejee Mermaid".
Mermaids had been presented at shows for centuries. These were often dugongs or people afflicted with sirenomelia. During the Renaissance and the Baroque eras, the remains of mermaids were a staple of cabinets of curiosities.
The Fiji Mermaid's Beginning People's knowledge of the Fiji Mermaid started when Samuel Barrett Edes bought it from Japanese sailors in 1822, which he purchased for $6000 (equal to roughly $137,000 in today's economy). In Edes' possession, it was displayed in London in 1822. The Fiji Mermaid was advertised in a publication by J. Limbird in the Mirror. After that, Edes willed the mermaid to his son, who sold it to Moses Kimball in 1842. Kimball brought the Fiji Mermaid to New York that summer to show P. T. Barnum. Before agreeing to exhibit the Fiji Mermaid, Barnum had his naturalist examine it. His naturalist could not conserve how it would have been manufactured because of the teeth and fins, but he said it had to be fake because he did not believe mermaids were real. However, despite his naturalist's beliefs, Barnum hired it for his exhibit. Kimball would remain the creature's sole owner and Barnum would lease it for $12.50 a week. Barnum christened his artifact "The Feejee Mermaid".
