CHAMBER FEATURE
Newly restored naval figureheads to go on display
Fourteen monumental Royal Naval figureheads have returned to Plymouth so they can be displayed in The Box, after being restored in one of the UK’s most ambitious conservation projects of recent times. Weighing a combined total of more than 20 tonnes, the figureheads
were originally carved in the 1800s and have come to the city on loan from the National Museums of the Royal Navy. Figureheads have been mounted on the bows of ships from the earliest
times, giving guidance and comfort to superstitious mariners and taking on something of the ‘soul’ of the ship. They provided an image of the fighting spirit of the crew and their nation, whether their role was warfare, exploration or the protection of trade. Although ship design eventually made them redundant, the evolution of
British warship figureheads pre-dates an established navy. For three-and-a- half centuries ships were given names that were appropriate to their function and the ships’ carvers created works of art that illustrated those names. Approximately 200 Royal Naval figureheads survive today, and many of
them have been repaired and restored over the years. They are mostly now in museum collections and naval establishments in the United Kingdom, with a further handful overseas. The figureheads that visitors will be able to see at The Box (when it
opens next year) have been saved from decay by three specialist conservation teams based in London, Devon and Cornwall. The project was kick-started with funding from Interreg’s Maritime, Military and Industrial Atlantic Heritage initiative. Over the last two years the teams have painstakingly analysed, repaired and repainted the figureheads – removing years of water damage and returning them to their former glory. These icons of maritime history will be suspended in a huge sweep in The Box’s main entrance space. Thirteen figureheads will hang from the ceiling, secured in place with just three cables each, to create the effect of a fleet of carvings floating in space. The 14th and largest figurehead will stand on the floor
with a huge display of nearly 300 ship’s badges behind it. Steve Conway, the Conservation Officer at The
Box, who has led the project, said: “The figureheads are more than just wooden sculptures; they’re iconic symbols of the history of the city of Plymouth and the Royal Navy. They’re also fantastic representations of the craftsmanship and skill of the sculptors who made them over 200 years ago. Right from the start when we were developing our original concepts for The Box we wanted to have a ‘flotilla’ suspended from the ceiling in a nod to Plymouth’s important maritime history and as the place where many great journeys have
started from.” The largest figurehead is from HMS Royal
William. Known as ‘King Billy’ he’s a 13-ft tall, two-tonne standing figure of William IV carved
34 Chamber Profile Winter 2019
The figurehead from the HMS Tamar
in 1833. Others include an ancient Greek-inspired figurehead from HMS Sybille, which played an active role in the capture of Canton during the Second China War (1856-1860), and the figurehead from HMS Centaur, which fought pirates off the coast of West Africa and served during the Crimea War in 1855. Due to the scale of the figureheads, conservators have pioneered a new
technique using Sonic Tomography scanning - a method designed for measuring decay cavities within living trees. Prior to this it had never been used to conserve large-scale wooden sculptures. The technique enabled the teams to accurately assess the amount of
deterioration inside each figurehead. This, along with an analysis of the surface paint layers, helped them to determine and develop the most
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