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One of the abiding images of an eighteenth century man-o’-war is of her
majestically curtseying to Neptune as she sets sail outward bound and enters his domain, her figurehead
proudly leading out. The origins of the familiar carved and painted
ornamentation on her bow were in the very early days of seafaring and are
probably twofold: homage to the gods of the sea in order to ensure a fair
passage, and the treatment of the ship as a living thing who needed eyes to find
her way across the water.
Figureheads have always been held in
great affection by sailors and a ship without a figurehead was considered
unlucky. On the right, Julian stands in front of HMS Victory and her
magnificent figurehead. This figurehead is a replica of the original carved in
1801 at a cost of £50. The design features two cupids supporting the royal coat
of arms surmounted with the royal crown. The arms bear the inscription of the
Order of the Garter - Shame to him who evil thinks. During the Battle of
Trafalgar the starboard figure had its leg shot away, and the port figure, its
arm.
Find out more...
A
brief history of the ship’s figurehead
More
information on ship’s figureheads
National
Maritime Museum ship figureheads
Ship
figureheads from literature
Cutty
Sark world's largest collection of Merchant Navy figureheads
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