Wood carving, or wood sculpture, is one of the oldest and most widespread forms of art. In the age of sailing vessels, wooden figureheads were prominent on the front, or bow, of the vessel. The figurehead helped establish a ship's identity. As an art form, wood carving has been used to fashion and ornament utilitarian and communicative or spiritual objects. The art of the wood carver depends on knowledge of the characteristics of specific woods, skill in fashioning the material, and design talent. Ship figureheads were the most popular of such wood carving, but many types of human figures were executed in wood.