The Art of Ship Figureheads: From Viking Serpents to Queen Victoria
Figureheads, which are intricately carved and painted decorations found on the bows of ships, boast a history spanning thousands of years, often representing the names, owners, or artistic styles of the vessels. In contemporary designs, depictions of women are common, reflecting a subtle feminist perspective during times of inequality. Noteworthy examples include the Lottie Sleigh figurehead from 1852 housed at the Liverpool Maritime Museum, a Queen Victoria figurehead located in Aberystwyth, UK, and the Long John Silver collection at the Cutty Sark in Royal Museums Greenwich, London. Although many have not survived due to harsh marine environments, some salvaged pieces are exhibited in coastal museums. Early mariners believed these figureheads held spiritual significance, and the tradition of adorning ships was widespread across various cultures. By the 17th and 18th centuries, British warships predominantly featured human figures, but restrictions from the Royal Navy limited their prevalence.
Key facts
- Figureheads are carved and painted figures on ship bows, with a history spanning thousands of years.
- Common designs include caryatids, allegorical figures, putti, gods, warriors, and human forms.
- Women are frequently depicted, including queens, goddesses, and ship owners' wives and daughters.
- Surviving examples include the Lottie Sleigh figurehead (1852) at Liverpool Maritime Museum, a Queen Victoria figurehead in Aberystwyth, and the Long John Silver collection at Cutty Sark, Royal Museums Greenwich.
- Few figureheads survive due to harsh marine conditions; many are salvaged from wrecks or breaker yards.
- Historical knowledge of figureheads comes from other art forms like drawings, paintings, coins, and ceramics.
- Early figureheads had religious significance, with the earliest being actual animal heads and skins.
- Figureheads were a global phenomenon, with examples from Maori, Viking, Roman, Greek, Phoenician, Carthaginian, and Ancient Egyptian cultures.
- In Britain, figureheads were replaced by fighting platforms in the Middle Ages, but later heraldic forms emerged.
- From the mid-18th century, human figures became dominant, but Royal Navy restrictions limited excessive carving.
- Carvers were often anonymous and illiterate, also creating shop signs and church figures.
- Today, few carvers remain, but maritime arts continue as a combination of ornamentation and craft.
Entities
Artists
- Candy Bedworth
- Van de Velde family
Institutions
- Liverpool Maritime Museum
- Royal Museums Greenwich
- Cutty Sark
- New Zealand Maritime Museum
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- DailyArt Magazine
Locations
- Liverpool
- UK
- Aberystwyth
- London
- Auckland
- New Zealand
- Boston
- MA
- USA