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Colour the sculptures

Hundreds of brightly painted sculptures once adorned Vasa. Now it is your turn to revive them with a splash of colour.

The sculptures on the ship weren’t only for show. They were also symbolic of the king’s power. Years under water have drained them of colour, but research tells us that they were brightly painted. Most likely in gold, red, blue and green. Which colours would you use to restore them to their former glory? The sketches/drawings are by Ulrika Wolff.

Colour a Sea God

This is the Sea God, Proteus. He can transform himself into different things.

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Colour a monster

This monster is called a grotesque. They were considered very modern in the 17th century.

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Colour the coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms shows which country and royal family the ship belonged to.

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Colour a lion

You can see the lion on Vasa's gunports. The figurehead is also a lion.

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Colour a warrior

The king Gustav II Adolf, who ordered Vasa to be built, saw himself as a great warrior.

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Colour a mermaid

This sphynx with a mermaid tail was on the door to the great cabin.

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Questions?