Like the saying goes, “Rome was not built in a day.” Some things take time.

As is the case for an object in our collection, a celestial figurehead (ca. 1805-1809) carved by William Rush. She has battled the sea, withstood the elements, survived the sands of time and has endured both destruction and care by human hands – waiting for her moment to be reclaimed.

William Rush (1756–1833) was the first American-born sculptor to achieve international acclaim. Widely known for his ornate ship carvings and figureheads, he notably carved pieces for four of the original six United States Navy frigates (and possibly designed the two others). Despite this notoriety, Rush pieces remain a rare find. It is estimated that of the 43 figureheads he is thought to have carved, less than 10 are accounted for. While some Rush figureheads perhaps have been destroyed or lost with the passage of time, the survivors have been reportedly used as lawn decoration or disguised by layers of paint.

Whether commissioned by a government, monarch, merchant or shipbuilder, the design of a ship’s figurehead was often a direct reflection of a vessel’s identity. The practice dates back to some of the most ancient seafaring civilizations.

"Figureheads were the most prominent promotion for American art. Colonists were seen as devoid of creativity and lacking spark. However, people began to notice when a ship donning a Rush figurehead sailed into a foreign port. Rush became known, and thus, so too did Americans as artists."

As such, William Rush is integral to art history as a whole – in terms of both early American carving tradition and the international dissemination of figurehead carving as an art form. It is fitting then that our figurehead will be placed in a global context, in the museum’s new gallery for maritime art and history, alongside a statement piece from Britain and a stunning bow ornament off a Maori war canoe.

The story of how the Rush figurehead came to PEM begins with the figurehead absolutely caked in paint, appearing at auction in New York with art experts and possible purchasers alike drumming up conversation about her history. There were speculations that she might indeed be a Rush, but her condition more than likely daunted her potential buyers (and is likely why she was so unidentifiable). To go through the time and cost of conservation for the possibility of uncovering a Rush was a risk. However, Finamore had a hunch.

He then spent two days in Philadelphia, studying works, making calls, consulting with experts and following bits of evidence – such as a brief analysis campaign of the figurehead done in 1994. He came across clues to her identity through a culmination of similarities, like an undeniable connection between the model for his sculptures “Nymph of the Schuylkill River” and “Peace.” And after careful consideration, he was willing to take that risk.

"No clearly authentic works of his have been for sale for many years... so I thought to myself the obvious. Why not PEM?"

After no bids were made, the museum purchased her through a private sale in 2005, and then it was left up to the skilled staff at PEM to help positively identify her.

Our examination began in 2008. Like a case straight from “museum CSI,” she has been described by PEM Conservator of Objects Mimi Leveque as “one of the most complex and interesting projects currently in objects conservation.” This comes from someone who has been working with Egyptian mummies (including the mummy of Tutankhamun) for over 30 years. Not only was she “wildly overpainted,” obscuring any sort of feature definition and hiding her underlying form, she had some deep chips and cracks throughout her white pine.