Is it a mermaid? Is it a fish? No, silly... it’s a merman!
In fact it’s a monkey’s head sewn onto the body of a fish, and no, sadly it’s not real. It’s made from the dried parts of a fish tail and a monkey’s head, mounted onto a wooden support. It is believed to have been created sometime in the 18th century in Japan, and was donated to the British Museum by the grandson of Queen Victoria, HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught.
The freaky creature has its hands up and gnarly teeth exposed, looking more like the man in Edvard Munch’s famous painting The Scream than Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
See the world’s only merman
MerMAIDS are two-a-penny... but a MerMAN? Now you're talking...
This must try is connected to:
The British Museum
More Things To Try
Actually one of London's most serene spaces
Top fun, plus you'll make something pretty. Probably.