Of all the decorative arts that were produced by seafarers over the centuries, authentic ship carving continues to be one of the most sought after and increasingly hard to find. This example of a carved tiller arm is the only one we have come across in 25 years.
Rudder arms such as this offer lasting value as both maritime relics and as decorative examples of the wood carver's art. Due to the inability of wood to stand up for many years of being exposed to the elements of salt water, wind and rain, only a minute percentage of the carvings that once decorated the great ships survive today.
This extremely well preserved teakwood tiller arm features the head of a greyhound with a brass collar at the end of a stylized carved rope braid. Additional scrollwork is featured on the "klick board" just forward where the arm would mount into the rudder head.
