Museum Metadata Exchange

Names

Name PrimaryShip figureheads

IDs

ID LocalSAMM 8

ID Urihttp://maritime.historysa.com.au/collections/ship-figureheads

Descriptions

Brief DescriptionThis collection of seventeen ship's figureheads originally adorned the bows of sailing vessels that visited Australian waters between 1836 and 1940.

Full DescriptionThe South Australian Maritime Museum has a collection of seventeen ship's figureheads-- carved wooden sculptures which ornamented the bow of a sailing vessel. Fourteen of the figureheads are on display in the museum and three kept in storage. This is the largest collection of ship figureheads in the Southern Hemisphere. The figureheads were sourced and acquired by the Vernon Smith, the Honorary Curator of the Port Adelaide Nautical Museum over a period of fifty years. Most have excellent provenance and well documented chain of ownership, including photographs of the figureheads displayed in the homes, gardens and hotels Smith retrieved them from. The oldest in the collection is from the Ville de Bordeaux, (1836) while more recent figureheads include the Garthneill (formerly Inverneill) built in 1895 Glasgow, and the Glenpark built 1897 in Glasgow. The collection also includes the Star of Greece, tragically wrecked off the coast of Port Willunga in July 1888

SignificanceThe collection has great aesthetic significance; they are beautiful examples of an ancient and highly specialised form of maritime art. Figureheads date back to Phoenician times (500 BC) and were created to protect vessels and their crew. They became a symbol of the ship and were invested with superstitions. They were modelled after generic figures, saints, or relatives of the owner or captain. This figurehead collection is of state and national significance. Most of the figureheads are from 19th century sailing ships that carried cargo and passengers between Adelaide and the United Kingdom. They were crucial in provisioning and sustaining the early colony of South Australia and have direct relevance to the Bond Store where they are displayed. Many of the figureheads were retrieved from shipwrecks and relate to significant historical events. South Australia's rugged coastline is littered with shipwrecks, and the figureheads help tell this story of maritime disaster. This collection is significant in terms of the history of the Port Adelaide Institute and the Port Adelaide Nautical Museum established in the 1870s. The Nautical Museum acquired handicrafts and mementos from sailors who docked in the Port as well as other artefacts relating to South Australia's maritime history. Honorary Curator Vernon Smith actively searched for these figureheads, locating them in private homes, yards and sheds. He documented this search and because of this, the figureheads are well provenanced with a recorded chain of ownership.

AccessA South Australian Maritime Museum collection. Fourteen figureheads are on permanent display in the South Australian Maritime Museum. Access to collection items held in Museum Stores is by appointment only. Access to museum records relating to collection items in by appointment only.

Subjects

scotArtefacts; Maritime history; Photography; Sculpture; Shipwrecks; Woodcarving

pontArtworks; Sailing boats; Sculpture

localFigurehead; Shipwreck; Star of Greece

aptFigureheads (ships); Photography; Shipwreck artefacts

person_orgPort Adelaide Institute; Port Adelaide Nautical Museum; South Australian Maritime Museum; Vernon Smith

Coverage Spatial

TextCanada; Port Willunga; South Australia; Port Adelaide; France; United Kingdom

Coverage Temporal

From1836

To1940

Related Collections

Dates

Date Record Updated2012-12-12 16:39

Date Created in MME2011-03-23 15:15