Quite a variety of these sorts of curios are on display in the Ostend home
of the Belgian artist James Ensor.
Bernard Barryte,
Stanford University Museum of Art


Edward Rodley described fejee mermaids as sailor-made artifacts:
>
>Sailors also made Jenny Hanivers.  These were guitarfish (elongated
>relatives of sting rays) cut, twisted and then dried - they look like
>little demons.  Modern sailors still produce these (but without the
>personal name) and sell them as curios.  The references I've read
>indicate the origin of the name Jenny Haniver is not known.
>
>Linda Wilson
>Visitor Studies and Evaluation
>Shedd Aquarium
>Chicago, IL


------------
Bernard Barryte
Associate Director / Chief Curator
Stanford University Museum of Art
Brown Bldg./620 Campus Dr.
Stanford, CA 94305-5060

[log in to unmask]
tel:  650/ 725-0466  fax: 650/ 725-0464