19th Century American Carved and Decorated Ship’s Figurehead, circa 1880

19th Century American Carved and Decorated Ship’s Figurehead, circa 1880, in the form of an elegant young lady, with lovely features and beautifully carved hair pulled back in a bun, wearing an aquamarine dress with lace collar, corseted waist, deep draping pleats and no doubt a small bustle.

The figure was carved integral with thick backboard and has all the classically American ship=carving traits of a lifelike portrayal and dramatic, animated pose that so excited the world’s attention.

She remains in remarkably good condition for having wrecked and washed up on an Atlantic beach. She has obviously lost an arm that had been carved in a separate piece and posed raised and extended out precariously from the body. One small area on the lower dress has been professionally restored where the paint had gouged down to primer.

45 in H x 13 in W x 14 in Deep

Early figureheads from around the world had traditionally been carved in a static, stylized manner reminiscent of ancient Greek statuary, with little detail or personality. American ship carvers in the late 18th Century began carving their figureheads as accurate portrayals of real people, either celebrities of the day or closer to home such as ship owner’s wives and daughters. When the first American ship, a Nantucket whaler, traveled up the Thames to London after the Revolutionary War, great excitement and word spread well ahead of the ship’s arrival. The sailors assumed the stir was caused by the first sight of the Stars and Stripes… they later learned the fanfare was actually over their novel figurehead, the likes of which had never before been seen.