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AVAILABLE ~ VINTAGE JENNY HANIVER / SEA DEVIL ＄1200

This is real taxidermy and a pedigreed piece. If you are not already familiar with my work I encourage you to Google me. My most sought-after pieces in my early years were my Feejee Mermaids and Jenny Hanivers. Many were commissioned by proprietors of sideshows and are still being exhibited today. Others reside in prestigious collections like the Geneva Museum of Natural History in Switzerland, Océanopolis Cultural & Science Center in Brittany France, and the Zymoglyphic Museum in Portland Oregon. Well-known private collectors who own them includes founder of the Baltimore Dime Museum James Taylor and film director Guillermo del Toro. This piece is coming out of my personal collection. I hung onto this one because it was the nicest example in this style. It’s mounted inside a wood shadowbox (antiqued gold finish) measuring 17” x 13” x 1½” with an engraved brass plaque affixed to the outside of the glass.

THE HISTORY OF JENNY HANIVERS ~ Mythical half human/half fish creatures have been part of maritime lore across the globe throughout human history. Jenny Hanivers, also known as sea devils, began appearing in European literature in the mid-16th century. Early Europeans were spellbound by tales of mermaids so native Oceanic craftsman began marketing Jenny Hanivers as actual specimens of humanoids from the deep. They were fabricated by artfully cutting the body of a skate or similar cartilaginous fish into a winged human-like shape that was then dried in the desired pose. Guitarfish and shovelnose rays were popular choices. The mouth of a Jenny Haniver is the fish’s actual mouth but a Jenny Haniver’s "eyes” are actually the nostril openings of the fish. The "legs” are the unaltered claspers of male fish. No one knows how Jenny Hanivers got their name but one theory suggests it’s derived from the way cockney British sailors pronounced the French phrase “jeune d’Anvers” (youth of Antwerp). Jenny Hanivers were not only wildly popular South Seas souvenirs, they also became a staple of Victorian sideshow tents.

ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SEA DEVIL ~ This piece was created in 2003 using a small skate. It was made the same way Jenny Hanivers have historically been made, but with the addition of several modern steps to insure its preservation and eliminate the fishy smell associated with Jenny Hanivers. The skate was preserved with taxidermy chemicals prior to being trimmed and shaped and the innards were removed. No sculpting materials were used anywhere on this, what you are looking at is entirely the skate’s body, the only exception being the addition of antler tips from European roe deer to create the teeth and horns. This is the last one of these. There will never be another opportunity to acquire one so don’t miss your chance to add this to your collection.

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