Perhaps the tradition of building bow and figurehead carvings is as old as shipbuilding itself. Even on ancient vessels from various parts of the world, figures depicting terrifying beasts were placed at the bow to scare off dangerous sea creatures. The ancient Egyptians once carved bull heads onto their ships’ bows, believing they would bring luck and appease the gods. The dragon heads of Viking ships were intended to strike fear into enemies, but also to ward off evil spirits.
Gustav III’s Grand Initiative
In 1780, Gustav III launched a new construction program for the Swedish navy. In just three years, ten powerful modern ships-of-the-line and ten frigates were built, as Sweden underwent significant rearmament. In addition, a number of smaller sailing ships, brigantines, and cutters were also constructed.
The Karlskrona naval shipyard became the center of activity. The renowned shipbuilder Fredrik Henrik af Chapman was handpicked in 1780 from the Djurgården shipyard in Stockholm to design the king’s new ships. Another man made the same move from the capital to Karlskrona: the navy’s figurehead sculptor, Johan Törnström.
Sculptor Johan Törnström
Most of the figures are carved in pine by sculptor Johan Törnström (1744–1828). They once adorned ships with names like Försiktigheten (Prudence), Dristigheten (Audacity) and Minerva. In the Figurehead Hall, you can study the finely detailed wooden carvings and learn about their history.
Symbolism and Naming
The largest warships, the ships-of-the-line, were usually named after noble qualities during Gustav III’s time, with names like Valor (Tapperheten) and Audacity (Dristigheten). They always had male figureheads. Frigates were given female names such as Minerva and Fröja and always had female figureheads.
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, figureheads on warships were meant to represent the ship’s name but often carried symbolic meaning as well. The ship-of-the-line Prudence took part in several naval battles during the war between Sweden and Russia from 1788 to 1790. At the time, 'prudence' could also mean wisdom and foresight, which gives deeper meaning to the ship’s name.
The powerful figurehead of Prudence is now housed in the Figurehead Hall at the Naval Museum. It depicts Perseus, the hero from Greek mythology who used cleverness and strategy to rescue Princess Andromeda. He wears a helmet that could render him invisible and holds the severed head of the feared monster Medusa in one hand. The idea behind the artwork is that Perseus symbolizes Gustav III, the rescued princess represents Finland, and Medusa stands for Russia.
The Disappearance of Figureheads
Johan Törnström had a packed schedule during much of his career, but over time, the art of carving figureheads faded into history.
As steel ships replaced wooden ones, figureheads eventually disappeared, replaced instead by coats of arms on naval vessels. Figureheads came to be seen as outdated on warships. In addition, they were expensive to make, and when military budgets were tightened, ornamental ship decorations were among the first expenses to be cut.
But many of navy sculptor Johan Törnström’s powerful works have been preserved at the Naval Museum—high-class art from a long-gone era.