Grotesques and Soldiers on the Vasa
2018 © Maxim Tabachnik
Ornate Panel from the Vasa WarshipRoman Soldier Figurehead on VasaReclining Figures on the Vasa WarshipCrowned Lions and Royal BustDavid with Harp and Moorish WarriorGrotesques and Soldiers on the VasaDecorated Gunport with LionGunport HatchRoyal Coat of Arms on the VasaStern Sculptures of the VasaStern Ornament with CherubsGrotesque Carvings Beneath the Stern

Grotesques and Soldiers on the Vasa

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These 1620s wooden figures decorated the stern galleries of the warship Vasa. The grotesque masks symbolized chaos and evil, while the soldiers beneath embodied order and royal discipline. Together, they reinforced the divine and moral order the Swedish crown claimed to uphold.