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Edwardian Shellwork Valentine Diorama of HMS Devastation
$1,700
£1,279.09
€1,477.76
CA$2,402.54
A$2,608.70
CHF 1,381.50
MX$31,975.13
NOK 17,096.55
SEK 16,155.33
DKK 11,029.37
About the Item
Edwardian Shellwork Valentine Diorama of of HMS Devastation
Date: Circa 1900
Origin: England
Materials: Shells, coral, seaweed, chromolithograph, wood, glass
Dimensions: 10 3/4 inches diameter x 2 inches deep (27 cm x 5.08cm)
A finely executed example of turn-of-the-century maritime folk art. This circular diorama features a central chromolithograph depicting a ship with two funnels steaming into port, The image is presented under its original convex and beveled glass with bands of seashell applied to the exterior rim.
The primary artistic feature is the elaborate shellwork border, which is densely encrusted with a wide variety of seashells, coral fragments, and preserved seaweed. The composition demonstrates a skilled hand in its arrangement and texture creating a tangible frame of the ocean itself and a testament to the popular craft of shellwork.
Such shellwork dioramas were popular souvenirs in British coastal towns during the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras. Often purchased by sailors and naval men, they served as sentimental gifts, or "valentines," for wives and sweethearts, making them poignant artifacts of social and maritime history
HMS Devastation (1871)
The 1871 vessel is considered a milestone in warship development because it was one of the first ocean-going capital ships to be built without sails, relying solely on steam power.
The ship featured two large armored gun turrets, each mounting two 12-inch muzzle-loading rifles. This turret configuration, mounted on the hull, became a benchmark for future battleship design. The design was influenced by the sinking of HMS Captain in 1870. The Devastation was built with a higher freeboard to improve its seaworthiness.
She was commissioned in 1873 and served in the Channel Squadron and the Mediterranean Sea. In the 1890s, she received a major refit that replaced her original muzzle-loading guns with new 10-inch breech-loading guns and installed modern triple-expansion steam engines. After serving as a guard ship in Gibraltar, she was eventually decommissioned and broken up in 1908.
(Ref: NY10921-aamx)
- Dimensions:Height: 2 in (5.08 cm)Diameter: 10.75 in (27.31 cm)
- Style:Folk Art (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1890-1900
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Downingtown, PA
- Reference Number:Seller: (Ref: NY10921-aamx1stDibs: LU861046652612
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