ne 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. Above, 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. The figurehead left adorns Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s SS Great Britain.

And the art form continues today around the world. Among its practitioners is Clayton Johnson, who carved the figurehead for the model of Teazer. Clayton has just completed a full-size figurehead in Basswood for a replica of a Norse longship, being built on Lake Mille Lacs in Minnesota.

Find out more...

 A brief history of the ship’s figurehead

 More information on ship’s figureheads

 National Maritime Museum ship figureheads

 Cutty Sark world's largest collection of Merchant Navy figureheads