Superstitious seafaring people have always sought good luck. Ever since the first vessels were built, sailors trying to ensure safe passage have attempted to pacify mysterious and unpredictable gods with offerings or symbols of faith.

National Gallery of Art

Woodcarving from the Index of American Design

Martin Jeffery
Ship's Figurehead Carving

The ship's figurehead. There is a certain magic about a figurehead which has never entirely faded. A ship without a figurehead was like a ship without a sail, making the figurehead a lasting symbol of the ship's permanence.