Mermaid and Fishermen at Lands End - Homer, AK
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 59° 36.067 W 151° 24.600
5V E 589746 N 6608064
This whimsical work of a mermaid sitting and two fishermen looking on and trying to net her is on top of the Land's End Restaurant and Hotel.
Waymark Code: WMA85T
Location: Alaska, United States
Date Posted: 11/30/2010
Views: 10
In Homer, at the very end of a protrusion of land called Homer Spit, is the Lands End Restaurant and Hotel (and lounge, and gift shop). On the sign is a sculpture work that depicts a mermaid and two fishermen.
The restaurant is located at a circle at the end of the main road. There are views of Kachemak Bay here, off to the left, by the ferry terminal.
The sculpture is made of driftwood. According to the Smithsonian Art Inventory, the sculpture was the work of Brian Young, done in 1981 or 1982. The mermaid is sitting on the right side of the Lands End sign. On the left side are two men in fishermen clothes. One is crouched and has a net - with a rim of unknown material and netting possibly of cotton material. The other is standing and looking at the mermaid through a spyglass.
The sculpture is in fair to poor condition. Much of the paint or stain is now gone. Cracks are forming, especially on the mermaid's tail and one of the fishermen bases.
Mermaids are mythical beings that show up in many cultures in their legends. Wikipedia mentions that the earliest mermaid stories were from Assyria in 1000 BC. Medieval and British legends have mermaids. Even on the Pacific Coast, live or remains of mermaids have claimed to have been spotted as recently as 1967. However, of course, proof has not been provided. Many explanations for spotting mermaids have been given, including mistaking mammals such as the sealion and walrus as mermaids - both very common in this region.
But, it doesn't stop the dreams of the fisherman of one day catching a mermaid, as this sculpture depicts.
Time Period: Middle Ages
Approximate Date of Epic Period: 1000 BC to present day
Epic Type: Mythical
Exhibit Type: Figure, Statue, 3D Art
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