Fish Stuff – Tacky Raccoons

Animalia Metallica

Tatyana Shubina of St. Petersburg, Russia creates sculptures of birds, fish and other creatures out of scavenged scrap metal.

“Tatyana Shubina‘s studio is located within the Red Triangle factory complex, some of whose buildings are so dilapidated that they’re literally falling on one’s head. This crumbling industrial monster serves as both an inspiring backdrop and an excellent source of materials for Tatyana’s work.

Born in Veliky Novgorod in 1978, she studied at the Rachmaninoff Novgorod Regional College of Arts and the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia in St. Petersburg. She is a member of the St. Petersburg Union of Artists and the Polyrealism creative association. She is a laureate of the Youth Prize of the President of the Russian Federation.”

[Found via MOBT.]

The .Gif Friday Post No. 961 – Skywhale, Road Trippy & Posing in Sections

[Found here, here and here.]

The .Gif Friday Post No. 960 – Super Duper Market, A Happy Dryer & Nought Fishing

[Found here, here and here.]

Fish Heads

Tuna cutting in Sicily, 1956. Swiss photographer René Burri.

[Found here.]

The .Gif Friday Post No. 944 – Pool Predator, Catfish Road & Three Cups Trick

[Found here, here and here.]

The .Gif Friday Post No. 916 – Air Brake Dancing, Fish Scream & Vapin’ Vicky

[Found here, here and here.]

Marine Dentist

[Found here, previously posted elsewhere.]

Ray the Bass Man

THE POT OF LUNKER BASS AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW
Raymond Gauthier has reached the end of the rainbow and has been justly rewarded with the fisherman’s pot of gold in these lunker bass caught on Toledo Bend Lake. On July 3, 1973, while fishing near Pendleton Bridge he hauled in 7 bass that tipped the scales at 56 pounds even. Since then he has caught 63 bass in a 2 acre area. 20 of these weighed over 6 pounds each, 20 more weighed over 7 pounds each and 12 of these weighed over 8 pounds each with the 2 biggest weighing 9 pounds 14 ounces each. Since then he has caught many more in the same weight range that have not been mounted.

[Postcard with caption found here.]

French April Fool’s Day Vintage Postcards

“Back in the old days in France (up until 1564), the new year was celebrated on April first, based on the Julian calendar. That was before King Charles IX came along and decided that everybody should be following the Gregorian calendar, which starts the new year on the first day of January.

“Not everyone welcomed this change, or so the story goes, and some people continued to celebrate April 1 as the first day of the year. Allegedly, those people were mocked and referred to as April fools. Whatever the case, it became a tradition to do things such as pasting a fish on unsuspecting people’s backs on April 1, and calling them a Poisson d’Avril or an April Fish. The symbol of the fish may also have been connected with Jesus Christ.”

[These undated postcards were found in this fine collection. There is a small envelope attached to one of the fish, meaning unknown. The caption, along with more vintage French April Fish postcards, found here.]

The Namazu-e of 1855

Namazu and the kaname-ishi rock. Japan, 1855

In November 1855, the Great Ansei Earthquake struck the city of Edo (now Tokyo), claiming 7,000 lives and inflicting widespread damage. Within days, a new type of color woodblock print known as namazu-e (lit. “catfish pictures”) became popular among the residents of the shaken city. These prints featured depictions of mythical giant catfish (namazu) who, according to popular legend, caused earthquakes by thrashing about in their underground lairs. In addition to providing humor and social commentary, many prints claimed to offer protection from future earthquakes.

Namazu are normally kept under control by the god Kashima using a large rock known as kaname-ishi. The Great Ansei Earthquake of 1855 is said to have occurred when Kashima went out of town and left Ebisu (god of fishing and commerce) in charge. In this print, the giant subterranean catfish unleashes destruction on the city while Ebisu sleeps on the job. Kashima rushes home on horseback while the city burns, and Raijin the thunder god defecates drums. Large gold coins fall from the sky, symbolizing the redistribution of wealth during the rebuilding phase.