A team of researchers from the Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts are conducting scientific analyses of the mummified remains of the mysterious icon to determine what they are actually composed of.

The “mermaid mummy,” which measures around 1 foot, has earned its name for having an upper body that appears to be human and a lower body that looks like a fish tail.

The 300-year-old mummy, which has retained its nails, teeth and hair over the years, has also maintained the eerie expression of a screaming child.

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Kozen Kuida, the chief priest at Enjuin temple in the city of Asakuchi, took out the artifact from the wooden box where it has been stored inside the school’s veterinary hospital for an examination on Feb. 2.

“We have worshiped it, hoping that it would help alleviate the coronavirus pandemic even if only slightly,” the head priest was quoted by Asahi Shimbun as saying. “I hope the research project can leave (scientific) records for future generations.”

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