The Young Girl From Antwerp?
October 7, 2012 9:56 PM   Subscribe

Have you met my friend, Jenny Haniver?

A 'Jenny Haniver' is a skate or ray that has been dried, cut, shaped and preserved into a fantastic and grotesque shape, often giving the impression of a 'mermaid' or 'devil.'

The Zymoglyphic Museum (previously), in San Mateo, California, has one on display.
posted by the man of twists and turns (14 comments total) 20 users marked this as a favorite
 
this is awesome, but what the fuck

i mean really, what in every fuck
posted by danb at 10:07 PM on October 7, 2012 [15 favorites]


I used to have one of these when I was a kid. I got it as a souvenir in Tijuana, a "devil from the deep" or some such thing. It seemed to be a fish of some kind, but wtf? Like a little man-fish alien sea creature. Dried, lacquered cut and posed in an oddly passive, yet menacing position. It was pretty creepy, perfect thing for a creepy kid. One day, it fell off the wall and broke in half.

Cool post. I hadn't thought of that thing in ages.
posted by 2N2222 at 10:17 PM on October 7, 2012 [3 favorites]


Man, brought to mind this horrible movie that freaked me out as a kid in the 70's.
posted by prodigalsun at 10:25 PM on October 7, 2012 [2 favorites]


See also the Fiji Mermaid.
posted by Artw at 10:29 PM on October 7, 2012 [1 favorite]


Man, brought to mind this horrible movie that freaked me out as a kid in the 70's.

The one I had reminded me more of this movie, which I was well acquainted with as a kid in the 70s. It may be why I thought my own Jenny Haniver was so cool.
posted by 2N2222 at 10:38 PM on October 7, 2012


I'll alert the SCP Foundation. A Mobile Task Force may need to be assembled or repurposed for this specific threat.
posted by ceribus peribus at 10:41 PM on October 7, 2012 [2 favorites]


an object comprising the torso and head of a juvenile monkey sewn to the back half of a fish, covered in papier-mâché.

what in every fuck indeed.
posted by mannequito at 1:12 AM on October 8, 2012 [1 favorite]


A good quality image of the watercolour original for the engraved Draco alter ex Raia exsiccata… from the first link can be found at the University of Bologna’s on-line archive of Aldrovandi’s manuscripts.
posted by misteraitch at 3:23 AM on October 8, 2012


you just know that Cthulu is keeping score....
posted by squasha at 3:42 AM on October 8, 2012 [1 favorite]


Well, it's like PT Barnum used to say: "There's a sucker born every minute. And if you can catch one, you can cut it up into different shapes and put it on display and people will come for miles just to see it. We'll be rich!!!"

Or something like that. I'm not really good with quotes.
posted by Blue_Villain at 4:38 AM on October 8, 2012 [3 favorites]


you just know that Cthulu is keeping score....

Keeping Score? The author of "101 R'lyehian Recipies for Dessicated Human" (James SquidBeard Award winner) and "Lesser Creature Carving for Fun and Profit" (#1 for 23 weeks on the Elder Gods Top Ten) is far, far above your measly mortal 'scores'...
posted by pupdog at 6:32 AM on October 8, 2012 [4 favorites]


Mefi's own :)

Thanks to misteraitch for the tip - I've mined his old Giornale Nuovo blog for images many times! (I'm assuming it's the same person)

Also, you may amused to know that this image is now on a postage stamp.
posted by zymoglyphic at 7:16 AM on October 8, 2012 [1 favorite]


What a great fake hotel check-in name!
posted by pineappleheart at 7:59 AM on October 8, 2012 [3 favorites]


Of all the crank, idiot myths these "outside experts" have touted over the years to sell books, souvenirs, and air time, one stands out: the jackalope, a mythical half-jackrabbit, half-antelope sold to (mostly unbelieving but amused) tourists and their (mostly believing and amused) kids.

It's real.

It's caused by a viral infection: Shope papilloma virus.
posted by IAmBroom at 12:43 PM on October 8, 2012 [2 favorites]


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