This massive ship's figurehead is believed to represent Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, an English tribe that lived in East Anglia in the first century. British legend tells that she led the first revolt against roman rule in 61 AD.
As is the case with all figurehead carvings, it was believed the vessel off which this important artifact came would have been instilled with the spirit of Boadicea. Obviously, due to the carving's grand size, the vessel would have been very large, possibly named Boadicea and most likely an important European merchantman from the early nineteenth century.
The design of the back of this figurehead points to it having been mounted directly to the tip of the beak head of the vessel, where she rode proudly above the waves, as opposed to lower down beneath the beak as was the norm. Some of the original paint remains and there is evidence of gilt remnants on the headdress. The carving maintains a very nice patina overall.
