Carved works and Figureheads: A History of Ship Decorations

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Carved works is the collective term used for wooden decorations mounted aboard a ship. They've largely gone extinct, since they serve no purpose other than aesthetic. Historically they were one of the most important parts of the vessel. They were a vital propaganda tool for showing the power and affluence of the shipbuilder. Figureheads were considered to have magical properties. They were a sort of good luck charm that could guide them to their destination, and protect the ship from environmental hazards and evil spirits.

Sources
Finlands historia - Torsten Edgren, Lena Törnblom
The Memoirs of Pere Labat - Jean-Baptiste Labat
Archaeological evidence for ship eyes - Troy Joseph Nowak
The Viking Longship - Osprey Publishing
Ship and Society - Gunilla Larsson
Vikingarnas Världsrike - Historiens vändpunkter
The Sailing Frigate - Robert Gardiner
Ship Decoration: 1630-1780 - Andrew Peters
Skulpturerna på Vasa - Anna Maria Forssberg
https://digitaltmuseum.org/0211064954...

#history #ships #bronzeage #baroque