American Ship's Nautical Folk Art Figurehead From Small Sailing Yacht

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About the Item

Size: 31" H x 22" L x 13" W Weight 45 pounds Carver Unknown Markings none Provenance Private New England Collection Period Ca 1865 Presented is a charming female ship's figurehead of an appealing small size that is suitable for display in almost any setting. Small figureheads are rarely discovered because they come from moderate size yachts, which were far fewer in number than from sailing ships, which were in abundance. You will be hard pressed to find anything similar in size that is so pleasing to the eye. This figurehead has features and dress that are decidedly American, and the Cornucopia, painted in gold symbolizing prosperity, is a unique feature. The figure is dressed in an off the shoulder period costume consisting of a sleeveless grey, possibly silk, blouse in somewhat of a risqué pose. Her well quaffed blond hair is carefully incised. Her blue eyes contrast nicely with the blouse and her golden hair. Over the years, the face and skin tones have taken on an accumulation of grime which we have been hesitant to clean. When mounted aboard ship, figureheads were painted every couple of years, and the paint has been refreshed sometime in the past. Figureheads as an art form are long past, having gone the way of the sailing ships upon which they graced the bow. American figurehead carvers were renown for their work, which flourished from colonial times until the late nineteenth century. Most every class of ship, from steamboats to whalers to clipper ships, came to be ornamented with carving which would include trailboards, stern boards and various types of figureheads. As was fitting, large ships generally had full length figures of generous proportions while smaller ships had busts, heads, and half and three-quarter-length figures with scroll and leaf carving fitted or as is the case of this example, a horn of plenty. During the 18th and 19th cent. a highly developed and original art of figurehead wood carving flourished in the United States at a time when little other sculpture was practiced. Few authentic examples survive.

Dimensions:
Height: 31 in (78.74 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)Depth: 13 in (33.02 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Ca 1865
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. This figurehead is approximately 150 years old. There is some evidence of old repairs including at the rear of the top of the head and near the base of the cornucopia. There is also paint losses on the skin, scratches on the base, and most unusually two 3" x 3/8" strips of clear tape on the left shoulder which has been there for many years, apparently serving no purpose. The surface paint has been refreshed, but has age. Some of these conditions add to the look of age, and others are so muted they are not readily apparent. For the most part, everything is in good condition.
Seller Location:
Palm City, FL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU9257742234