Polychrome figurehead which (though not completely certain) appears to represent St Bernard of Clairvaux at half-length, with a crown in the form of a building – presumably his abbey – holding a pastoral staff in the right hand, and set within the scroll of a billet-head. It comes from the Italian wooden barque 'Bernardo', which was blown ashore on Annett, Isles of Scilly, in 1888 after her sails had been carried away by a north-westerly gale. The crew managed to launch a boat but this was overturned, drowning all eleven seamen. Only Captain Dapelo was left on the ‘Bernardo’ and as his ship began to break up he had to swim. The sole survivor, he reached the Old Woman Rock where he was able to hold on until rescued by a fishing boat. This is the second figure in the collection which is incorporated into the design of the billet-head, the other being an unidentified female figurehead (FHD0025).

‘Bernardo’ details at time of wreck. Wooden barque of 701 tons, registered in Genoa. Built by A. Rollo, Varazze, 1876. Dimensions (in feet and tenths): 152.8 x 30.5 x 21.0. Owner: G. B. Degregori, Camogli. Registered voyage: Alicante to Cardiff. Cargo: in ballast. Master at loss: Dapelo. Wrecked: 11 March 1888.