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Description

2 metre by 8 inch by 6 inch (max width) (4.5inch keel width) - head about 21 inches wide nose to back of head horizontally - by 6 inch wide at the ears) . Viking long-ship figurehead of a Kelpie. Unlike a lot of figureheads for reproduction longships, this is highly carved and life-like, suggesting that it was made for a prestigious boat. In fact the Gokstad replica Viking ship, built in Sweden and sailed across the Atlantic for the Chicago World's fair, now situated in the USA, built in 1893, even though it is only a replica, is classed as one of the oldest survivng ships in the world and it's figurehead is not that disimmilar in form to that presently for sale.... although currently it is missing!!!. It was certainly made for a large vessel, as the weight, high up, would cause instability. Possibly mahogany. The ears appear to be a later renovation judging by the Philips screws used to fix them in.. There are holes in the top of the head which might need attention, although they are not visible from the ground looking up.. It does have age about it, both in the wood, as can be seen around the nose, - and with about 4 or 5 layers of paint - each of itself showing the craquelure of age. One would not discount the possibility that it was used as the figurehead on an early 1800s steam boat. The bottom 18 inches is chamfered and has three holes drilled into it - where it would attach to the keel. There is a later brass plaque which indicates that the head was originally from a Viking long boat. The brass badge on the front appears to have been gilded at some time in the past.

If you read one of my other listings - you will see that I develop a thesis based upon the observation that Viking long boats were fitted with a so called 'drain-plug'. I observed that this is much less likely a 'drain-plug' (as the boat could be rolled over to empty it) than a plug used for scuttling the boat in the shallows - allowing horses to swim off - the boat subsequently recovered when the tide retreated. (the problem of getting horses off a long-boat (especially as for example to rapidly deploy in battle or to raid in shock and awe) much greater than loading them (which could be done at leisure and with the resources available)); The head (and tail on the stern) would remain above water for a significant time and also act as a spooky deterrent to a potential enemy. Coming to think of it, such figure-heads (and their associated tails), perhaps the origin of the legend of the Kelpie itself -before the widespread use of the written word.....?!?!? - In this respect - one might indeed here be looking at a real Kelpie - in the flesh. Horses swimming to shore might indeed conjure up the manifestation of a supernatural deity.

The form also has echoes of the pre-Raphaelite - Lady of Shalot / King Arthur - through it's Gaelic imagery.
collection only.