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I have no idea if the following has anything to do with the figurehead, but sounds like as good a reason as any. The French dog breed most closely associated with the French ship Astrolabe is the Briard due to the connection between the breed and the ship as it was used as a working dog on board Astrolabe during its voyage to Antarctica in the 1830s. Looking at the breed, it would be quite distinguishable if found on a contemporary painting or model and easy to identify, but I cannot find any such contemporary painting or model with a figurehead of any kind but would love to see one.
Allan
Allan
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Maybe it is a Briard , https://www.stephensandkenau.com/ship/astrolabe-model-ship/
I found this page but they only sell very high end models no parts . It has a dog on it as, well but nothing on why a dog. Thanks @AllanKP69 , you always seem to have an answer. Lol thanks if nothing else I am going with a Briad, if asked why I will say they kept the Rats away for from the ship lol thanks
Bobby K.
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That's a really interesting theory. I haven't seen any evidence that Astrolabe had a figurehead at all, let alone one of a Briard, but the connection makes sense. Briards were definitely used as working dogs in France at the time, and it's possible they were brought on the expedition to Antarctica. If we could find a crew journal or expedition log that mentions dogs on board, that might help support the idea. Until then, it's a solid guess and would be great to see any contemporary paintings or models if they exist.
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Surprised long-time AKC "Breeder of Merit" (Basset Hounds) here. The Briard would be one of the last breeds I would expect anyone to bring on a ship voyage. I can't imagine what a Briard might do as a "working dog" on an expedition to Antartica. The Briard is not an arctic working breed, as would be breeds such a Malmutes and Huskies that have been selectively bred to adapt to extreme cold, ice, and snow. The Briard is a herding dog, a shepherd breed, and they certainly aren't ratters. They are of good size, around 100 pounds, and, having very high energy levels, require huge amounts of exercise. I'd expect a Briard on board a ship would not be a happy camper at all without anywhere to run any distance on a daily basis. (Conditioning treadmills weren't around in 1830.) Even once they arrived ashore, there'd be nothing to herd but maybe penguins and seals.
Not the sort of dog a sailor would likely have as a pet, either. Sailors' pets are customarily parrots and monkeys, which are a lot easier to stow! Dogs weren't uncommon on sailing ships, though. Their acute hearing and olfactory abilities came in handy in the fog, and they were useful as ratters, but the more common breeds for those purposes were primarily the smaller terriers, not the larger herding breeds. Anything's possible, though, I suppose.Well it turns out that I decided to follow the French museum model A loin it is.View attachment 533409
Bobby K.
You can hedge your bets by using a classic lion figurehead. Most looked like dogs with cats' bodies.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel:
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Hey—cool ship to dig into. The Astrolabe 1812’s figurehead is often described as a stylized dog, but the exact breed isn’t clearly documented. Some sources suggest it resembles a mastiff or hunting dog, maybe symbolic. Naval archives or maritime museums in France (like Musée national de la Marine) might have detailed records or sketches. Worth checking!