The plunger of Dr. Moreau

I like the trompe l’oeil curling up paper effect right next to the actual peeling paint on the left side here:

and I also like that duck. I am curious about his assistant, however.

Is that something other than a beaver tail? I’ve been looking on plumbing supply sites and can’t find anything that this might be other than a beaver tail. And that’s not answering any of my questions about what’s going on here.