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A three-quarter length figurehead of the huntress Atalanta from HMS Atalanta (1847)
A three-quarter length female figurehead of the mythical Greek/Arcadian huntress Atalanta. The figurehead was carved for the 16-gun wooden two-masted brig Atalanta (1847) built at Pembroke Dockyard. The figurehead depicts Atalanta in a green, loose-flowing dress that has slipped from her left shoulder. The trail-board below her dress has a bow and arrow carved into it, picked out in red and gold paint, reinforcing her status as a hunter.
Atalanta was famed for running swiftly and refused to marry unless a suitor could first defeat her in a race. During one contest, Milanion dropped three golden apples, a gift from Venus, which Atalanta stopped to collect, allowing him to win the race.
Atalanta was famed for running swiftly and refused to marry unless a suitor could first defeat her in a race. During one contest, Milanion dropped three golden apples, a gift from Venus, which Atalanta stopped to collect, allowing him to win the race.
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Object Details
| ID: | FHD0062 |
|---|---|
| Collection: | Figureheads |
| Type: | Figurehead |
| Display location: | Display - Neptune Court |
| Vessels: | Atalanta (1847) |
| Date made: | 1847 |
| Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London |
| Measurements: | Overall: 1727 mm x 635 mm x 1499 mm |
| Parts: | A three-quarter length figurehead of the huntress Atalanta from HMS Atalanta (1847) |
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