Emma Carlow: Crocodile Ceramic Whistle

This ceramic Crocodile Whistle has been exclusively created by renowned artist Emma Carlow for YSP Shops, to coincide with the exhibition One to Give. One to Take Away, by Jordy Kerwick.

This series of whistles is inspired by The Bestiaire d’amour by Richard de Fournival. Richard de Fournival was a thirteenth century French writer, best known for his Bestiaire d'amour - Richard's Bestiaire is not a traditional bestiary. Instead of using animal characteristics to illustrate a moral or allegorical teaching, Richard used bestiary themes and animals to plead his case to an unnamed lady who he claims to love, but who does not love him in return.

Crocodile:
When a crocodile finds a man it will eat him, but when it has done so it will weep daily for him all its life. Since the lady has devoured Richard and killed him with love's death, he would wish her to repent and to weep tears from her heart. The way crocodile eats is a reversal of the way other animals eat; they keep their upper jaw still and move their lower jaw, while the crocodile keeps its lower jaw still and moves it upper jaw. The lower jaw, being underneath, signifies things concealed, while the upper jaw, being above, signifies that which is revealed; so it is when speaking of one's love to anyone else one moves the upper jaw.

- Materials: ceramic
- Size approx. H40 x L170 x D40mm