Polyresin lobster, multicoloured, 39 x 20 x 9 cm n France in the 1830s, the writer Gérard de Nerval was observed walking a lobster on a leash in the Tuileries and also climbing the stairs of the Palais Royal. In response to the horrified looks of passers-by, the French poet replied: "Why is a lobster more ridiculous than a dog, a cat, a gazelle, a lion or any other animal? I have an affinity for lobsters - they are relaxed and serious, they know the secrets of the sea, and they don't bark." I wonder what he would have said to our Tom's Drag-style lobster Edward?