Scales, skin and stuffing

Truth be told, this mermaid was manufactured. To say it plain and simple, we could describe it as a “hoax”.

Regarding its make, it is generally made up of a metal wiring working as a frame with the body of the mermaid built around it, and stuffed with a cotton-like filling. The bottom half is covered with fish skin and scales. The materials used in the top half are more enigmatic and include unidentified skin covered with hair, and what is believed to be a human skull with a dog’s jaw attached to it for a head.

This specimen is not unique - other museums around the world keep specimens of Japanese mermaids as part of their collections. Two other mermaids keep our mermaid company in the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen collection, if they are not travelling.