User:Mcapdevila/Figurehead (ship)

A figurehead is a carved sculpture, often in the shape of a human or animal, mounted on the prow of a ship. This decorative piece was historically placed on the ship's stem or beakhead, serving both aesthetic and symbolic purposes.

In ancient times, as reported by Strabo in Book 2 of his writings, referencing a passage by Posidonius, Eudoxus encountered a piece of wood during his return from India that he identified as the figurehead of a ship. This figurehead depicted the image of a horse.

The naval bas-reliefs brought from Nineveh, displayed in one of the lower rooms of the Louvre, show that ships often featured a horse's head at the top of the prow. This decorative element highlights the importance and prevalence of figureheads in historical naval architecture.

After the end of the age of sail, warships retained masts, initially as observation posts and to observe [