Figurehead from Schooner "Polly" 1935 - 1942

Alton K. Skillin made this figurehead from the Schooner "Polly" in the late 19th or early 20th century. You can imagine the artist whittling away at the wood, feeling the grain, coaxing out the form bit by bit. The muted blues and grays are weathered, like it's been kissed by the sea and sun for decades. I wonder what Skillin was thinking as he carved her? Was she a lover, a muse, a symbol of the ship's spirit? Look at the way the paint peels and cracks, revealing the wood underneath. There’s a realness there, an honesty that speaks to the passage of time. It reminds you that everything changes, everything fades, yet there’s a certain beauty in that decay. And the way the head is slightly tilted – it gives her such a sense of contemplation. She’s not just a pretty face; she's got stories etched into her very being. Skillin, like all artists, was in conversation with history, with the sea, with the very material he was shaping. We are so lucky to be able to look at it now!