This cast crown is a jackstaff finial from a Royal Navy warship, dating to the 20th century. It would have been mounted at the head of the jackstaff — the short flagpole on the bow of a ship — to mark the position from which the Union Jack was flown while the vessel was at anchor or in harbour.

The finial is made of cast metal and painted in polychrome colours, with red, blue, green, and gold used to bring out the decorative detail of the crown. This colourful finish gave a striking appearance against the grey hull of a warship.

Jackstaff crowns were both functional and symbolic: they secured the flag in place while also displaying a highly recognisable emblem of the Royal Navy. Crowns of this type were commonly fitted across the fleet during the 20th century, and each one served as a reminder of the authority and tradition of the service.

This object was scanned in situ at the Devonport Naval Heritage Centre.

*Some minor areas of the object were recreated in Blender*