August
18
/ 2022
An exceptionally well-preserved ship figurehead, in the form of a wooden statue, was “caught” by a shrimp boat crew off the coast of Texel Island in the Dutch Wadden Islands. This super-rare ship figurehead example was in mint condition, and adorned with a special headdress, called a Phrygian cap, which was a strong reference to emancipation from slavery, and thus liberty and independence. Seemingly submerged since the 17th century, it is thought that the ship figurehead came from a warship that sank during the Dutch Eighty Years’ War with the Spanish from 1566/8-1648 AD. The find was excitedly shared by a crew member on Twitter, in which he also asked for more information about its origins and history. The Discovery
