Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen, Salty old queen of the sea
Once I sailed away, But I’m home today
Singing Copenhagen, wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen for me
In a move that brings to mind the lyrics of Danny Kaye’s song from the film Hans Christian Andersen, a 521-year-old ship’s figurehead, recovered off the coast of Sweden last year, is indeed ‘home today.’
Recovered by divers last summer (Gumbo story here) off the Swedish town of Ronneby, the menacing dragon figure has been on view at the Blekinge Museum in Sweden, where it’s been soaking in a freshwater bath designed to draw out the salt which it absorbed over the years.
Now it’s been returned to Copenhagen, where experts at the National Museum will take up to three years to complete restoration of the figure, one of the world’s oldest preserved wooden carvings. It’s believed to have broken off the ship Gribhunden, which caught fire, exploded and sank off Ronneby in 1495. For more details of the planned restoration of the 300 kilo carving, click HERE
