Sea Things gallery

This sea-water-soaked watch belonged to 27-year-old Titanic passenger Robert Douglas Norman, who died when the famous ship sank during its maiden voyage on 15 April 1912.

The gold-cased watch was found amongst his clothing when his body was recovered from the sea, the hands frozen on the time when he entered the sub-zero water, roughly 3.07am.

The Ancient Egyptians buried their dead with everything they would need to make the successful journey from this world to the afterlife.

Amongst the items they placed in the tombs, which included food, money and weapons, you might find a funerary boat like this one.

The belief was that with one of these symbolic vessels by their side, the dead could journey safely into the next world.

This model has been speculatively dated to 1850 BC, and is one of the oldest items in the National Maritime Museum's collections.

While this rock with a hole in it may not look like much at first glance, it's actually a Roman anchor dating back to 100 CE.

It was originally attached to a Roman trading ship visiting Lulworth Cove in Dorset, which sank in the harbour. The anchor lay there for almost two millennia before it was eventually raised by archaeologists in 1960.

While anchors similar to this one were recovered from other Roman-era shipwrecks, this type of anchor is even older, having been found on wrecks dating back to prehistoric times.

This is a type of early sea mine, called a Russian Infernal Machine. Although it looks relatively harmless, the iron cone would be filled with gunpowder and was designed to explode when hit by a ship.

Infernal Machines were used by the Russians during the Crimean War (1854-56), and were sometimes treated with a lack of concern by British naval officers. 

This backfired (literally) when an admiral on board the Exmouth accidentally pressed the detonator when examining one of these mines. The explosion temporarily blinded him, and left many of the crew with burns and scalds.

In 2017, Eve Shepherd was commissioned by the National Maritime Museum to create three sculptures that would contrast with and challenge the Museum’s numerous busts of white, upper-class naval men. In the Sea Things gallery you’ll find these three busts sitting amongst the likes of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson and William Pitt the Younger. 

Sea Deity is one of Eve's creations. It was made in collaboration with families from Action for Refugees Lewisham, a group made up of refugees from around the globe. Together, they shared and explored their experiences of forced migration.

The result was this fictitious God of the sea, which speaks to lived experiences of making a perilous journey across the ocean. In the gallery you can examine the symbolic sculpture up close - and even hear Sea Deity talk.

Gain a deeper insight into some of the Museum’s most prized – and lesser-known – objects on display with one of our friendly guides.

Daily tours are available when you visit, or you can choose to follow one of our dedicated audio guides and explore the Museum at your own pace.