Figurehead (object)
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A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the bow of ships, generally of a design related to the name or role of a ship. They were predominant between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries,
Figurehead on a model of the French ship Océan
A ship with oars bears the fierce lioness that appears as a figurehead on two Ancient Egyptian ships in a c. 1200 BC depiction of the victory over the invading Sea Peoples in a battle at the Nile River Delta.
The ceremonial barge used during the annual Phaung Daw U Pagoda festival in Myanmar uses a figurehead at right of a karaweik, a mythical bird.
The figurehead of the Greek brig Aris, c. 1807. National Historical Museum, Athens
Naval heraldry
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Naval heraldry is a form of identification used by naval vessels from the end of the 19th century onwards, after distinguishing features such as figureheads and gilding were discouraged or banned by s
Figurehead (object)
…of ships, generally of a design related to the name or role of a ship. They were predominant between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries, and modern ships' badges fulfil a similar role. Early ships often had some form of bow ornamentation (e.g. the eyes painted on the bows of Greek and Phoenician galleys, the…
The badge of HMS Queen Elizabeth was displayed on the tampions of her main guns in 1917, before the standardisation of Royal Navy designs.
Crest of the United States aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson