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Takeshi Yamada
with his 4-feet
long Fiji
Mermaid and
other circus
sideshow gaffs
at the opening
reception of the
spring fine art
group exhibition
at the Brooklyn
Waterfront
Artists
Coalition
Gallery
in Red Hook area
of Brooklyn, New
York on May 13,
2006.
(photograph by
Eriko N. Bond)
This article
features subject
matter such as
Loro Kidul,
P.T. Barnum�s
Fiji mermaid,
mermaids in
circus sideshow
banners,
circus sideshow
gaffs artists,
and manatee in
New York City.
In Japan, most
of the Ningyo
are female
human-size
humanoid-fish
with attractive
face and long
black hairs.
Nigyo has
been featured in
many reputable
ancient
documents
including
Nihonshoki
(Historical
Record of Japan,
which is an
equivalent to
Old Testament to
Shintoism
(Japanese
government-supported
national
religion). This
animal is
believed to
bring good and
happiness to
people. The
statures of
Ningyo can
be found and
worshiped by
people at Shinto
Shrines and
Buddhist temples
throughout
Japan. It is
called Ningyo
Shinko
(Mermaid
religion).
Japan is not an
only country who
considered the
mermaid as
religious deity.
Nyai Loro Kidul
("Queen of the
South," also
known as
Kangjeng Ratu
Kidul) is a
Javanese goddess
of the South
Sea, often
illustrated as a
mermaid. She has
many different
names, which
reflect the
diverse stories
of origin. Her
figure is also
featured in
varieties of
forms. The
country of Java
is also known
for a large
production of
this divine
humanoid sea
creature. In
fact, production
of quality
mummified
mermaid (in
regular bases)
was absolute
necessity among
people there for
many centuries
to conduct their
religious
rituals. For
them, the
mummified
humanoid sea
monster figure
is not an
artwork for
displaying their
personal wealth
or an item of
luxury which
serves no
practical
purposes. For
them, this
half-human,
half-fish
creature
composed of
monkey and fish
elements is a
dignified,
spiritual, and
powerful
embodiment of
their religious
faith. It was
used in serious
religious
rituals with
deep reverence
and intended to
bring large
catches to
Javanese
fishermen.
Pelabuhan Ratu,
a city in West
Java, celebrates
an annual
holiday in her
honor on April 6
(1 Suro in the
Javanese
calendar) even
today. She is
also associated
with
Parangtritis and
Pangandaran.
Their humanoid
fish is
sometimes
rendered as
mummified ugly
aged monstrous
creature with
all white hairs
on its head and
shoulders with
well-defined rib
cage and long
sharp nails.
I have no
information
regarding
whether P.T.
Barnum obtained
the cultural
significance of
the
humanoid-fish
when he
purchased it
from Asia. If he
knew about it,
his sales pitch
and newspaper
advertisements
might have
become quite
different as we
know today. (Who
knows he might
have done the
exactly same to
just make money,
just like the
art dealer of
renowned 20th
century artist,
Jasper Jones who
sold a replica
of an aluminum
beer can by the
artist with
outrageous price
and sales pitch
by declaring it
is a great art.)
P.T. Barnum and
his
advertisement of
show of
curiosities
including �Fejee
Mermaid� in
1842.
What people saw
in another
newspaper
advertisement (Charleston
Courier, January
1843)
and the drawing
of what they
actually saw at
the circus
sideshow of P.T.
Barnum in 1842.
Technically
speaking, in
Indonesia, the
Fiji mermaid
resembles the
ones collected
by P.T. Barnum
were
traditionally
created by
sawing monkey
head, baby
orangutan torso,
and tail of a
fish together.
They are made of
100% pure
animals (except
man-made
materials
stuffed inside),
so, it is 100%
pure taxidermy.
Nevertheless, as
they do not
represent any
�real�
creatures, they
have NO
scientific value
at all. For this
reason, some
professional
taxidermists
even refer the
Fiji mermaid
made of 100%
animals as
�artwork� and
NOT �real
taxidermy�.
(Many gift shops
categorized them
as �novelty
taxidermies�.)
In this case, as
I explained
before, what it
is made of is
not the vital
matter in
today�s
taxidermy. I
would personally
consider such
specimen/artifact
as �creative
taxidermy�,
�artistic
taxidermy� or
�circus sideshow
taxidermy�,
although there
are no official
names to call it
in any taxidermy
books written by
the hands of
seasoned
professional
taxidermists.
Examples of
circus sideshow
banners
featuring the
Fiji mermaid.
The mermaid in
the circus
sideshow banner
is always
featured as a
alive (often
very
attractive-looking)
humanoid female
creature with a
large pair of
breasts posing
at the beautiful
tropical
seashore. They
were never
featured as
ugly, mummified
carcass often
encased in the
old wooden or
glass display
case.
I saw numerous
Fiji Mermaids
(all mummified
ones) in person
before I created
my own version
of this
monstrous
creature. I saw
a series of high
quality Fiji
mermaids hung
from the ceiling
� some are quite
large (about 4
feet long) and
others are
smaller - for
public display
at a large gift
shop which also
host free museum
of curiosities
by the
waterfront of
downtown
Seattle,
Washington. It
is �Ye Olde
Curiosity
Shoppe�. Those
Fiji mermaids
had very dark
dried and
wrinkled skins
and very long
black hairs. One
of them was
about 4 feet
long. It is so
unusual to see
such a large
size Fiji
mermaids (with
such an
excellent
craftsmanship)
even among the
discriminating
collectors of
curiosities.
Those
magnificent Fiji
mermaids were
not what they
had. In addition
to those
masterfully
created gaffs,
they also had
life-size
breath-taking
Egyptian
mummies,
shrunken human
heads. These
were displayed
inside of a
large display
glass cases in
such a dignified
and
inspirational
manner. How you
display is also
very important
to what you
display. Good
artworks/artifacts
deserve good
display. I was
also deeply
inspired by
variety of
pickled deformed
animals (pigs
and cats). They
also had variety
of artifacts of
unknown origins.
For example,
they had an
elegant bone
with beautiful
lace-pattern,
which had a tag
saying �what is
this?� These
displays are in
large glass
cases all around
the store and I
spent over 2
hours just
adored them. For
me, these are
much better
artworks than
any pieces which
are proudly
displayed at
modern art
museums
sponsored by the
government by
using tax
payers� blood
money today. I
felt those
mysterious
artifacts,
specimens and
gaffs are
shinning even
more today �
just like those
sublime marble
statures of
Greek Goddess
created by the
humble hands of
nameless ancient
artists/craftsmen.
I was truly
impressed,
delighted and
felt honored to
see them. This
is a place I
highly recommend
for anyone to go
to see these
magnificent
collections.

(left) One of
the banners of
the Bobby
Reynolds�s
circus sideshow.
Several very
impressive Fiji
Mermaids were on
display at his
traveling show.
(photograph
by Takeshi
Yamada, 2001)
Other very
impressive Fiji
mermaids, which
I remember well
were on display
at the traveling
circus sideshow
tent of the
Bobby Reynolds.
Reynolds� tent
show was truly
gigantic and
palace-like one
with a series of
vividly colored
masterfully
painted giant
circus sideshow
banners in front
of it. His
circus sideshow
used to come to
Coney Island
every summer. It
is our culture�s
greatest loss
that he retired
recently.
Reynolds was
also a great
outside talker.
Reynolds not
only knew what
he had but also
knew how to sell
them to marks
with such
artistry. He was
a masterpiece
and genius.
Reynolds had two
Fiji mermaids on
display. Each
was about 18
inch.
Apparently, they
all used dried
fish for their
lower bodies and
mummified monkey
body for their
upper bodies.
They were all
constructed with
impeccable
craftsmanship.
One of them (the
darker one) was
especially
impressive and
proudly
displayed in a
glass display
case, and I felt
as if it was
radiating the
aura of mystery
of life. Great
artworks,
whether it was
created by the
nature or
humans, has high
spirituality to
move human soul.
This monster�s
face was that of
an agony and
pain yet full of
nobility and
pureness. It was
the genius of
the artist who
created it. This
gorgeous
mummified Fiji
mermaid was
almost
identical-looking
to the one owned
and shown by
P.T. Barnum.
Naturally, not
all the Fiji
mermaids I saw
in person were
in good quality.
I also saw very
poorly made Fiji
mermaid on
display at a
small Ten-in-one
circus sideshow
place in Coney
Island area of
Brooklyn, New
York in 2001.
The very poorly
made
6th-grade-level
doll was formed
with wrinkled
brown shopping
bag. This is a
government-funded
very poorly
operated
company, which
was evicted for
its rent
delinquency by
the judge�s
order at the New
York Civil Court
for long time
ago. They are
completely
financially
broke sideshow
company. I know
great deal about
the criminal and
illegal
operations of
this sideshow
company in Coney
Island told by
the lawyers who
actually handled
the court case.
The despicable
criminal owner
of this sideshow
store, even
today, dares to
call himself
�Mayor of Coney
Island�. Poorly
made Fiji
mermaid at the
poorly run
sideshow
company. Birds
of a feather
flock together.
In America,
there are many
noteworthy gaff
artists who have
been creating
Fiji mermaids
(or humanoid
monsters) for
circus sideshow
companies and
collectors of
curiosities for
many decades.
Due to the
nature of this
business of
circus sideshow,
there are many
remarkable and
ingenious gaffs
created by
unknown artists.
For me, in many
ways, they are
the true heroes
and heroines
worked so hard
behind the stage
to make this
business keep
alive and even
successful. The
artists I
feature in this
portion of my
manuscript are
ones who worked
in the world of
circus sideshow
business
consistently at
least for a few
decades as paid
workers
(professionals).
I intentionally
did not choose
artists who has
been creating
Fiji mermaids
who simply sell
them at
commercial
galleries and
internet � there
are many artists
doing that
today, and I
will write about
them in another
occasion.
Personally,
speaking, I,
Takeshi Yamada,
have been
professionally
making circus
sideshow gaffs
and banners for
circus sideshow
companies and
amusement parks
since 1985. I,
personally, also
produced
numerous tent
shows and store
shows in
addition to
gallery shows at
commercial
galleries,
museums, and
nature centers.
This will be
featured in the
article in Part
3.
At this point, I
want to feature
three giants of
traditional
circus sideshow
gaff builders -
Mark Frierson,
Homer Tate, and
Doug Higley.
Frierson is
truly a giant in
circus sideshow
business, and he
once even owned
the circus
sideshow of his
own. He is a
very prolific
and excellent
gaff builder
with wide range
of subject
matters. He also
created many
taxidermy
monsters by
using body parts
of real animals.
I consider that
he is quite
gifted and
inspirational.
He is also knows
for his fabulous
circus sideshow
banners
commissioned by
many circus
sideshow
companies. Tate
is an artist who
created his
signature gaff
called �Pygmy
Mud People� and
reached his
creative peak in
1940�s and 50�s.
His creations
are primitive,
mysterious and
more �artistic�
� they look like
crude cult dolls
created by
primitive humans
in the ancient
civilizations.
He did not
create any
taxidermy gaffs.
I saw his �Pygmy
Mud Person� in a
shadow box at
Museum of World
Oddities in
2004. Higley
calls himself
�prop artist�.
He began
creating gaffs
for circus
sideshow
companies after
being inspired
by the creations
of Tate. He also
has a signature
style of
creatures with
slug-like
texture and
deformed soft
body whether
they are Fiji
mermaids, Atomic
Fish (deformed
fish create by
nuclear
radiation),
Shrunken Human
Heads, or
monkeys� paws.
According to my
internet google
image search, it
appeared that
people are more
interested in
mermaid than
merman as I
expected.
Nevertheless,
what stroke me
was the numbers
of search result
by each word.
Specifically, I
found 8,470
images of
�merman� but
286,000 images
of �mermaid�. I
consider this
fact may reflect
unique and
distinctive
aspect of human
psychology,
which needs to
be investigated.
Needless to say,
in the ancient
time, fishermen
on the
boats/ships were
all males.

Manatee
It is widely
believed that
mermaids which
ancient mariners
and sailors
claimed to have
seen were
actually
manatees.
Manatees
(Trichechus
manatus)
are large
aquatic mammals
sometimes known
as sea cows
because they eat
most of the day
(they eat 10 to
15 percent of
their body
weight every
day).
Biologically,
speaking, this
animal�s closest
cousin in the
animal kingdom
is actually the
elephant. They
can weigh
anywhere from
500 to 1000 kg.
They are slow
moving,
non-aggressive,
and generally
curious
creatures. They
are herbivores,
may
spend up to ten
hours a day
eating.
They pig out on
aquatic plants
like turtle
grass, water
lettuce, shoal
grass and water
hyacinth.
Manatees inhabit
the shallow,
marshy coastal
areas and rivers
of the Caribbean
Sea and the Gulf
of Mexico (T.
manatus,
West Indian
manatee), the
Amazon basin (T.
inunguis,
Amazonian
manatee), and
West Africa (T.
senegalensis,
African
manatee).
About 61% of the
reported dead
manatees are due
to natural
causes. The
number one
killer of this
creature is the
exposure to cold
waters; if the
water
temperature
drops below 68
degrees for a
prolonged time
the manatees
cannot survive.
Manatees are an
endangered
marine mammal.
Florida wildlife
experts counted
3,116 in their
annual survey in
February.
I am very happy
to inform
readers at this
point that many
sighting of
manatees in
Hudson River
here in New York
City were
reported this
month, August of
2006.
Specifically,
the monstrous
giant sea animal
has been spotted
at 23rd Street
near Chelsea
Piers, West
125th Street in
New York City,
and later in
Westchester
County. Manatees
have been
reported along
the shores of
Long Island and
even as far
north as Rhode
Island. However,
It is extremely
unusual, for a
manatee to be
spotted inland
in a river this
far north.
According to the
news reports,
internet
searches of
"Manatee"
climbed up over
7,000% after
news stories
began
spotlighting the
aquatic beast's
summer vacation
to the Big
Apple.
Numerous stories
on this
magnificent
creature were
published in
this city but
nobody has
claimed seeing
mermaids yet.
I, Takeshi
Yamada, am happy
to add manatee
as new monster
to my long list
of monstrous
animals of this
monstrous city,
New York City.
Examples of them
are the
horseshoe crab
(living fossil
outlived
dinosaurs. The
most valuable
creature on this
planet to save
human life with
its blue color
blood), colonies
of wild green
parrots with
spectacular
woven nests in
Brooklyn (free
public tour
availableevery
month), Asian
Longhorned
Beetle
(discovered in
Greenpoint area
of Brooklyn New
York. Spreading
New York state
Quarantine Zone
for its terror
and
destruction),
the gigantic
corpse flower at
the Brooklyn
Botanic Garden
(revolting smell
of putrefying
meat - real
smell of death)
etc.
(Continue to
Part 3)
All rights
reserved by
Takeshi Yamada,
Museum of World
Wonders,
Brooklyn, New
York, September
2006.
Special thanks
to Eriko N.
Bond, Lauren D.
Travis, and
Diane M. Taros. |