Figureheads
Decoration and the soul of the sailing ships
The fishermen of the Mediterranean painted eyes to the bow of their boats. Usual subjects for figureheads are heads
of animals, mythologic motifs, figures of saints and personages, women, arms and escutcheons, which are fitted at the bow of a sailing ship below the bowsprit.
The figurehead of a sailing ship is loved and deified by the crew. She is seen as a symbol of the vessel giving the ship a soul.
Often there is a correlation between the figurehead and the name of a sailing ship.
It is a superstition by seamen that a figurehead watches the route of a sailing ship and preserves the ship from bad
weather and wreckage. Sometimes the figurehead was the patron of the sailing ship and influenced the success of a voyage.
The damage or destruction of a figurehead is interpreted as a bad omen.
Figureheads are the decoration of a sailing ship, and therefore we often take photos of them.
Do you want to see more figureheads or do you want to meet the artists creating this applied art?
Hartmann Design - Atelier für Skulptur und Malerei
Maritima Woodcarving, Andy Peters
Lynx Guimond, Freelance woodworker
Holzwerkstatt Meyer - Handwerk & Design, Dieter Meyer
Atelier Reudenroos
Alexander von Humboldt II
Made by Claus Hartmann
Alexander von Humboldt II
Made by Claus Hartmann
Amerigo Vespucci
Life size figure of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci
Life size figure of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci
Life size figure of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci
Life size figure of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci
Antigua
Made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann, installed in 2003
Aphrodite
Mermaid, made by Reudenroos Atelier, Lutjebroek, Enkhuizen
Aphrodite
Mermaid, made by Reudenroos Atelier, Lutjebroek, Enkhuizen
Aphrodite
Mermaid, made by Reudenroos Atelier, Lutjebroek, Enkhuizen
Aphrodite
Mermaid, made by Reudenroos Atelier, Lutjebroek, Enkhuizen
Arawak
Head of an Arawak (native tribe in the Caribbean) with feathered headdress
Arawak
Head of an Arawak (native tribe in the Caribbean) with feathered headdress
Atlantik
Mermaid
Bounty II
Replica of the figure of the wife of the first owner of the original Bounty, Lady Bethia
Bounty II
Replica of the figure of the wife of the first owner of the original Bounty, Lady Bethia
Concordia
Teenagers and the globe to point out the main use of the ship, made by James A. Knowles, installed since 2002
Concordia
Teenagers and the globe to point out the main use of the ship, made by James A. Knowles, installed since 2002
Cuauhtémoc
Aztec brave with the headdress of an eagle in dependence to the eponym of the ship
Cuauhtémoc
Aztec brave with the headdress of an eagle in dependence to the eponym of the ship
Cuauhtémoc
Aztec brave with the headdress of an eagle in dependence to the eponym of the ship
Cuauhtémoc
Aztec brave with the headdress of an eagle in dependence to the eponym of the ship
Cuauhtémoc
Aztec brave with the headdress of an eagle in dependence to the eponym of the ship
Cuauhtémoc
Aztec brave with the headdress of an eagle in dependence to the eponym of the ship
Cuauhtémoc
Aztec brave with the headdress of an eagle in dependence to the eponym of the ship
Cuauhtémoc
Aztec brave with the headdress of an eagle in dependence to the eponym of the ship
Cuauhtémoc
Aztec brave with the headdress of an eagle in dependence to the eponym of the ship
Cutty Sark
Witch Nannie (by Frederick Hellyer)
Cutty Sark
Witch Nannie (by Frederick Hellyer)
Dewaruci
Indonesian legendary figure, disposer and paladin of the sea, or also the god of courage and braveness
Dewaruci
Indonesian legendary figure, disposer and paladin of the sea, or also the god of courage and braveness
Dewaruci
Indonesian legendary figure, disposer and paladin of the sea, or also the god of courage and braveness
Elissa
White figure of a woman (face modelled after Mary Moody Northen to thank for donations by the Moody Foundation) with a yellow rose (The Yellow Rose of Texas) in her hand, made by Eli Kuslansky, installed since 1982
Étoile du Roy
Figure of a man with turban and the appearence of the Turks (ex-name)
Étoile du Roy
Female pirate Violette de la Hisse, made by Valérie Gauthier (story) and Stéphane Desdouets, installed since July 2012
Étoile du Roy
Female pirate Violette de la Hisse, made by Valérie Gauthier (story) and Stéphane Desdouets, installed since July 2012
Étoile du Roy
Female pirate Violette de la Hisse, made by Valérie Gauthier (story) and Stéphane Desdouets, installed since July 2012
Étoile du Roy
Female pirate Violette de la Hisse, made by Valérie Gauthier (story) and Stéphane Desdouets, installed since July 2012
Étoile du Roy
Female pirate Violette de la Hisse, made by Valérie Gauthier (story) and Stéphane Desdouets, installed since July 2012
Étoile du Roy
Female pirate Violette de la Hisse, made by Valérie Gauthier (story) and Stéphane Desdouets, installed since July 2012
Étoile du Roy
Female pirate Violette de la Hisse, made by Valérie Gauthier (story) and Stéphane Desdouets, installed since July 2012
Étoile du Roy
Female pirate Violette de la Hisse, made by Valérie Gauthier (story) and Stéphane Desdouets, installed since July 2012
Europa
made by Annemarie Visser about 1986-1994, 2009 damaged by an iceberg and lost while sailing in the Antarctica
Europa
Figurs from the Greek legend, Europa follows the white bull, made by Lynx Guimond, installed since March 2010
Fridtjof Nansen
Inuit hunter with harpoon, made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann, installed since spring 1997
Fridtjof Nansen
Inuit hunter with harpoon, made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann, installed since spring 1997
Fridtjof Nansen
Inuit hunter with harpoon, made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann, installed since spring 1997
Georg Stage
Patron saint, golden bust of the eponym Georg Stage
Georg Stage
Patron saint, golden bust of the eponym Georg Stage
Georg Stage
Patron saint, golden bust of the eponym Georg Stage
Gloria
Angle
Gloria
Angle
Gloria
Angle
Gloria
Angle
Gloria
Angle
Gloria
Angle
Gloria
Angle
Großherzogin Elisabeth
Figure of a woman after the eponym grand duchess Elisabeth, made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann
Großherzogin Elisabeth
Figure of a woman after the eponym grand duchess Elisabeth, made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann
Großherzogin Elisabeth
Figure of a woman after the eponym grand duchess Elisabeth, made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann
Großherzogin Elisabeth
Figure of a woman after the eponym grand duchess Elisabeth, made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann
Gunilla
Portrait of the daughter Gunilla of a former owner
Juan Sebastian de Elcano
Godess Minerva
Juan Sebastian de Elcano
Godess Minerva
Kaliakra
Figure of a women to symbolise the legendary eponym
Kaliakra
Figure of a women to symbolise the legendary eponym
La Reine des Flots
Mermaid
La Reine des Flots
Mermaid
Lili Marleen
Figure of a woman which represents Lili Marleen from a soldier song, made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann
Lili Marleen
Figure of a woman which represents Lili Marleen from a soldier song, made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann
Mare Frisium
Mermaid
Mare Frisium
Mermaid
Mare Frisium
Mermaid
Mare Frisium
Mermaid
Mare Frisium
Mermaid
Mircea
Romanian duke Mircea Staria
Mircea
Romanian duke Mircea Staria
Olifant
Mermaid
Rickmer Rickmers
Rickmer, grandchild of the founder of the Rickmers shipping company, installed since 1986, made by Dieter Meyer
Rupel
Mermaid
Rupel
Mermaid
Rupel
Mermaid
Rupel
Mermaid
Rupel
Mermaid
Shabab Oman
Figure of a man with a turban and the appearance of the Arabic peninsula, hommage to Ahmad ibn Majid, Arabic navigator and cartographer (1421-1500)
Shabab Oman
Figure of a man with a turban and the appearance of the Arabic peninsula, hommage to Ahmad ibn Majid, Arabic navigator and cartographer (1421-1500)
Shabab Oman
Figure of a man with a turban and the appearance of the Arabic peninsula, hommage to Ahmad ibn Majid, Arabic navigator and cartographer (1421-1500)
Signora del Vento
Woman with dove of peace in dependance on her ex-name PEACE, made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann, installed in Sept. 1998
Stad Amsterdam
Women with symbols of the fight for freedom of the city of Amsterdam, the sorrows of the city during WWII and the sailing in all seas of the world, made by Reudenroos Atelier, Lutjebroek, Enkhuizen
Sviatitel Petr
Saint
Sviatitel Petr
Saint
Tenacious
Mermaid with helmet plate
Tenacious
Mermaid with helmet plate
Thalassa
Mermaid
Thalassa
Mermaid
Thalassa
Mermaid
Thalassa
Mermaid
Tres Hombres
Woman with different symbols, made by Lynx Guimond
Tres Hombres
Woman with different symbols, made by Lynx Guimond
Tres Hombres
Woman with different symbols, made by Lynx Guimond
Unión
Topa Inca Yupanqui, reaching for the sun
Zawisza Czarny II
Black head of a knight for the legendary Zawisza the Black of Garbów, also known as the Black Knight
Zawisza Czarny II
Black head of a knight for the legendary Zawisza the Black of Garbów, also known as the Black Knight
Zawisza Czarny II
Black head of a knight for the legendary Zawisza the Black of Garbów, also known as the Black Knight
Baltic Beauty
Ornamentation entangled by an eel
Baltic Beauty
Ornamentation entangled by an eel
Gorch Fock (2)
Albatros
Gorch Fock (2)
Albatros, already 6th figurehead of this kind, installed in February 2004
Gorch Fock (2)
Albatros
Götheborg
Lion, made by Andy Peters
Götheborg
Lion, made by Andy Peters
Götheborg
Lion, made by Andy Peters
Guayas
Condor
Gulden Leeuw
Head of a lion, made by Henriko and Henk Kalter, installed in 2012
Italia
Swan (ex-name of the ship)
Khersones
Albatros, made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann
Morgenster
Seahorse and women, made by Lynx Guimond
Morgenster
Seahorse and women, made by Lynx Guimond
Morgenster
Seahorse and women, made by Lynx Guimond
Morgenster
Seahorse and women, made by Lynx Guimond
Lovis
Eye
Sedov
Coat of arms and Cyrillic letters which represent the initials of the Murmansk fishery co-operative, made by Claus and Birgit Hartmann, installed in 1999
