Mystic Seaport: A Virtual Photo Tour

A ship's figurehead is the carved wooden figure traditionally mounted on the prow of a ship. An example appears in this photo. In addition to sailing ships and village buildings, Mystic Seaport is also home to a number of exhibition galleries, and my favorite is the figurehead exhibit, where many intricate figureheads from the Seaport's collection of maritime artifacts are displayed.

Oh, the stories these "mascots" could tell of their days at sea. Ships' figureheads were often emblematic of the name of the ship, and many of these works of art were larger than life.