The Greeks did it, the Romans did it and so did the Vikings: each decorating their ships with carvings, paintings and sculptures that are full of symbolism. And the Dutch did likewise. The ship’s ornaments in this room have been set up to give a good picture of the various types of decoration that could be seen on board from stem to stern. The most familiar ship’s ornament is the figurehead on the prow – the very front – of the vessel. Dutch ships often proudly displayed a lion for this purpose, but biblical, Greek or Roman mythological figures were also often used. The figurehead on warships was above all meant to scare your opponents. The ship’s name was often displayed on an escutcheon, a plate on the ship’s stern. The woodcarving varies on both smaller and larger ships from simple folksy artwork to high-quality sculptures produced by professional sculptors and woodcarvers.