INFORMATION
Humpback whales, which are about 13 to 15 meters in length, inhabit the oceans around the world, and are also known for singing courtship songs with their own unique melody for each group. "Nature Tales" presents a three-dimensional figure of a parent whale swimming leisurely as if snuggling up to its calf. It is an angle that allows you to carefully observe the characteristic long and large pectoral fin silhouette and the barnacle-covered protrusions from the upper surface of the upper jaw to the side of the lower jaw. In the waters near Japan, they give birth in the warm Ogasawara Islands and Okinawa's Nansei Islands as breeding grounds in the winter, and in early spring when the calves have grown enough to withstand a long journey of several thousand kilometers, they leave for northern areas such as the Bering Sea where there is plenty of food. However, it is said that the parent whale spends most of its time without eating and drinking during this period, and the model also expresses a smart atmosphere with reduced subcutaneous fat.
Comment from sculptor Shinobu Matsumura
Humpback whales are one of the most distinctive species among large fin whales. Not only the shape, such as a face with bumps, long uneven pectoral fins, and wide tail fins, but also the white pattern, which varies greatly depending on the individual, is also unique. The protrusions on various parts of the body represent the difference between the depressions of the skin on the face and the places where the barnacles on the fins are parasitic. There are fine scars on the body surface, but the calves swimming side by side are still young and have smooth skin. The ventral furrows, which are characteristic of fin whales, spread wide when feeding, but they usually fit snugly in the throat like this.
Nature Tales Humpback whale parent and child finished product
- Large colored art statue
- Material: Polystone
- Size: Height approx 448mm
- Prototype production: Shinobu Matsumura
- Price: 55,000 yen (tax included)
- Scheduled to be released in January 2024