On November 27, 2022, a beautiful carved and painted wooden figurehead from a ship was discovered on a pebble-strewn beach in the United Kingdom. Keep reading for a video and photos.
Reddit user u/Conn0rs found the figurehead and immediately took to social media to share the discovery. Thanks to Reddit, the figurehead will be home with its owners sooner than later.
The history of ship figureheads is fascinating. These unique sculptures were once a common sight on the bows of ships, and they served both a practical and aesthetic purpose. Figureheads were usually carved from wood, and they were often quite elaborate. Many had religious or mythical themes, and they were believed to protect the ship and its crew from harm.
Today, ship figureheads are mostly seen in museums or as collectors' items. But their history goes back centuries, and they offer a glimpse into the fascinating maritime culture of the past.
You can see the detail of the lost and found figurehead in the following video:
Beautiful. Isn't she? The figurehead is three feet tall and carved from solid wood. No word on the weight, but the person who found the figurehead had a few comments about the heft of the object:
She's a hefty lass, I could barely roll her over.
It weighs an absolute ton.
It would need 10 of me to carry it, it's solid hardwood.
It was far too heavy to move.
The elaborate work of art was found on Brighton Beach and belonged to the Regina Maris, which lost the figurehead "in the height of Brest," according to its owner. It probably fell off the ship approximately one month before it was found.
Photos on a profile of the Regina Maris show the figurehead looking down from its place of honor on the bow of the ship along with the following description of the ship itself:
Sailing ship Regina Maris is a Threemasttopsailschooner [sic], a completely fore and aft rigged sailing ship with three masts. To handle such a threemasted sailing ship needs a lot of helping hands and for that passengers who like to be involved in the sail handling are very welcome and right on such a ship. [...] With the sleek hull of sailing ship Regina Maris she reaches quiet good speed of up to 12 knots, especially on a half wind course or with a fresh backstay breeze.
It appears the figurehead sustained a bit of damage during her marine misadventure. Her wooden canine companion seems to have lost three of four legs as well as the better part of a muzzle. Nonetheless, the original owner seems delighted at the prospect of being reunited.
With the help of the good folks on Reddit, the person who found the figurehead was able to get in contact with its original owners and help them recover the object.
For more photos, check out this gallery posted on Imgur.
What would you do if you found this lovely nautical lady on the beach? Comments are welcome.
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