"The elaborate decorative wooden carvings known as figureheads were found on the prow of ships built between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. Many depicted human females or animals, but other designs could be found as well. There had been ornamentation on boats and ships in earlier eras, in Egypt for example, plus in other cultures of the ancient world."
Ship Figureheads: Symbols of the Sea via darkroastedblend.com
"The Swedish warship Vasa sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was salvaged in 1961 (see photo above). Now on display in the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, the stern is painted in what are believed to have been the original colours."
Intricate Ship Sterns: Art on the Ocean via darkroastedblend.com
