Beautiful and old antique ship model, made of different types of painted wood.
It was most likely made as a luxury toy as we can tell by the less detailed construction that mainly gives a general impression. This is a typical characteristic of toy boats of that period. So that would mean that this ship, with extra weight in the hold, once sailed onto a pond. Another possibility, but less likely, is that it was build to be decorative directly from the start.
Although the construction is simple, it is realistically built. So we see what kind of ship is depicted here. It’s a so-called ‘ship of the line’, a type of sailing warship that formed the backbone of the major navies of the Western world from the mid-17th to the mid-19th century.
Originaly it would have three masts with sails, but unfortunately those are lost in time. Nevertheless we look at an extremely decoratif and rare ship that has acquired a stunning patina.
The model is old, most likely made in the early 19th Century, and large. Please note that some original antique glasses, supporting the idea of being a toy, are still present. It comes with the pedestal.
H x W x D Boat = 28 x 120 x 32 cm / 11 x 47.2 x 12.6 inch
H x W x D + Pedestal = 40 x 120 x 32 cm / 15.7 x 47.2 x 12.6 inch
With a special thanks to Mr van der Vliet, Head of collections at the ‘Het Scheepvaart – National Maritime Museum’ in Amsterdam.
