JENNY HANIVER 1

An object at the boundary between myth and reality, this Jenny Haniver is an exceptional piece, crafted in the purest tradition of maritime curiosities. Made from a dried skate, carefully cut and sculpted, it appears as an enigmatic chimera, halfway between a sea monster and a demonic creature.

Its appearance is fascinating: an expressive, almost humanoid head with an elongated snout and gaping mouth, flanked by fins transformed into wings. Its slender, nearly anthropomorphic body extends the illusion of a being risen from the abyss. Confronted with such an object, one oscillates between wonder and unease—just as spectators did centuries ago.

The Jenny Hanivers first appeared in the 16th century in Europe’s great ports, especially Antwerp, from which the name originates (a distortion of Jeune d’Anvers, “young of Antwerp”). Sold to travelers, collectors, and the curious, they embodied for many the tangible proof of the existence of sea monsters, sung of by sailors and feared by navigators.
They quickly became essential pieces in cabinets of curiosities, true theaters of the strange where natural wonders, exotic rarities, and enigmatic creations were displayed side by side.

This specimen, datable to the first half of the 20th century, continues that centuries-old tradition. It illustrates the enduring fascination with the occult, the unusual, and the cryptozoological. Its remarkable preservation makes it a rare piece, endowed with a powerful visual and symbolic presence.

More than a mere object, this Jenny Haniver is an invitation to journey into the maritime imagination, a reminiscence of the cabinets of scholars and collectors of the past, and a work that will naturally find its place at the heart of any collection devoted to the strange and the marvelous.

PERIOD : early 20th century
DIMENSIONS : 34 cm × 12.5 cm 
SIZE : 13.4" × 4.7"