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Volume 32 No. 12 AUGUST 2019 www.antiqueshoppefl.com TAKE ONE

LEFTON MERMAID WALL PLAQUES

Were Japanese Kitsch of the 1950s

By Larry LeMasters
LeMasters’ Antique News Service
Lefton “Mermaid” with two starfish. Others believe the Sirens of Greek mythology, that lured sailors to their deaths,
This wall plaque is almost six inches tall and inspired mermaid stories. And, of course, some historians believe mermaids
is valued at $245. truly exist and their lack of sightings is due only to their shy nature.
Even Blackbeard the Pirate believed in mermaids, recorded in his ship’s log
is an order he gave his men to stay away from certain charted waters that were
enchanted by mermaids. Pirates, in general, believed mermaids harbored bad
luck and had the power to bewitch sailors into telling where pirate gold was
buried, after which the mermaid would drag the hapless pirate to Davy Jones’
locker—the bottom of the sea.
Mermaids have always been popular subjects of art and literature, such as
in Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Little Mermaid (1836). Found in
operas, books, films, paintings, and even comic books, mermaids continue to
capture the imagination of humans, and in like fashion, humans continue to
capture the myth of mermaids, especially in porcelain figurines. Lefton China
is one famous ceramic company that captured the exotic and whimsical nature
of mermaids in ceramic and, at the same time, exemplified the kitschy nature of
Mermaids are aquatic creatures with the head and upper body 1950s “Made in Japan” items.
of a female human and, for the lower body, the tail of a fish. Continued on Page 3
Mermaids appear in the folklore of nearly every country in the
world, especially sea-faring countries.
The word “mermaid” comes from the Old English word
were (sea) and maid (a young woman). Mermaids are traditionally depicted
as beautiful creatures with long, flowing hair, large breasts, and shapely tails,
which emit a sexual aura to lonely sailors.
The earliest known mermaid story appeared in ancient Assyria when
the goddess Atargatis transformed herself into a mermaid due to the shame
of accidentally killing her human lover. Besides death, mermaids have also
been associated with floods, shipwrecks, and severe ocean storms, but most
mermaids are known to be benevolent creatures towards humans, sometimes
falling in love with humans.
Famous explorers reported mermaid sightings during voyages.
Christopher Columbus, in 1493 near Hispaniola, reported several sightings “Mermaid on Starfish”
of mermaids during his exploration of the Caribbean islands. Most historians wall plaque by Lefton
attribute Columbus’ sightings to manatees or other large, aquatic animals. that is valued at $175.
Folklorists credit the origin of mermaids to the dugong, believing early
sightings of dugongs by sailors led to the myths surrounding mermaids.

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