When Britannia Ruled the Waves
Born in India. Sailed to England. Served in the West Indies. Retired in Jamaica. This well-travelled figurehead beautifully illustrates the extraordinary reach of the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail. The ship Liverpool was built in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1826 for the Imaum of Muscat. Ten years later, he sailed her to England and presented her to the Royal Navy. Renamed HMS Imaum, the 72-gun ship served in the West Indies until she was retired in 1863. The carved and painted wooden figurehead of a bejewelled Indian woman came to Halifax in 1951 via Port Royal, Jamaica and the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda.
Object type:
Figurehead
Object #:
M50.30.1
Collection name:
Curator:
Date (age/made):
1826
Origin/place:
Mumbai, India
Materials:
Wood
Dimensions:
440 cm in height