Figure heads of sailing ships
The fishermen of the Mediterranean painted eyes to the bow of their boats. Usual motifs for figure heads are heads of animals, mythologic motifs, figures of saints and personages, women, arms and escutcheons. The figure head of a sailing ship is loved and honoured by the crew. She is seen as a symbol of the vessel giving the ship a soul. Figure heads should protect the ship from destruction caused by storms. The Roman used the figure head as a wappon to ram other ships. Figure heads are the finery of a sailing ship, and therefore we often take photos of them.
Do you want to watch more figure heads or do you want to meet the artists performing this applied art? Visit the gallery of Birgit and Klaus Hartmann, the well-known carvers of figure heads from Germany.
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