Model of the figurehead from the Durban

Carved by Nehemiah Williams of Tower Hill circa 1870.

Williams died at Limehouse in 1873.

Presented to the NMM by Mr Auberon Raymond Willaims, 48 Magnolia road, Chiswick, London, 28/08/1991.

According to the donor, the figure originally carried a spear aloft and wore a small beard.

The full length figurehead from the Durban is on display in the Durban Museum and Art Gallery, South Africa

The 'Durban', a barque of 345 tons, was built in London in 1870 and owned by Bullard, King & Co of the White Cross Line.

From 1860, the company operated a regular service to Durban from London. The 'Durban' continued trading, until she was abandoned in 1887.