1820s Nautical Objects

Scrimshaw of an engraved whale's tooth, depicting on one side, truncated pyramid cippus culminating with a half sphere and surmounted at the top by a six-pointed star, symbolism trac...

Brass round-sectioned telescope with mahogany mount, two-extension focus, complete with dust tab and sunshade extension. Good condition perfectly working, custom made wood and brass ...

Log o solcometro contamiglia nautico in ottone a forma di fiocina, firmato MASSEY’S Anchor Ship Log N. 1 E.M.P si tratta del primo modello entrato in produzione attorno alla prima metà del XIX secolo. Il solcometro è un antico strumento nautico, molto raro e dalla forma caratteristica, che misurava la distanza e la velocità di una nave. Veniva gettato fuori bordo e trascinato dietro la nave stessa; ruotando grazie alla sua elica, trasmetteva il numero di giri fatti su se stesso ai tre quadranti realizzati su una placca in metallo smaltato posta al centro del log; i quadranti riportavano le misurazioni in miglia da 0 a 100 in decine, da 0 a 10 in unità, da 0 a 1 in quarti. I dati venivano poi letti ogni ora per ricavare anche la velocità. Ottimo stato perfettamente funzionante e montato su base in legno e ottone realizzata su misura. Misure lunghezza cm 49,5, inchess 19,5 - larghezza elica cm 14, inches 5.5 - diametro corpo log cm 4,3, Inches 1.7. Nei secoli passati il tentativo di misurare la velocità delle navi era fortemente ostacolato soprattutto dall’ indisponibilità di strumenti per la misura del tempo di sufficiente precisione: gettando un pezzo di legno in mare dalla prua di una nave e misurando il tempo che questo impiegava per arrivare a poppa, era possibile ottenere qualche informazione sulla velocità della nave stessa, ma con molti errori e imprecisioni. Il principio del solcometro meccanico fu illustrato alla Royal Society nel 1699 da Robert Hooke, ma il primo modello prodotto per uso commerciale venne brevettato solo nel 1802 da Edward Massey...

A shipyard model of a gaff-rigged Newhaven Smack, the hull carved from the solid with a scored deck, wood and metal fittings including metal anchors with chains, a hawse pipe and winch, deck lights, companionways, tiller, two boats sprung out on davits, a stepped wooden mast with a spacer, standing and running rigging with sheathed blocks and tackle...

19th Century Scrimshaw Snuff Box We are proud to offer an early 19th Century fork art bone scrimshaw snuff box. Detail across this example includes a working hinge flap and finger s...

A charming early little compass with a gilded case and a perfect white enameled face or dial. The pin at the top is pulled out to release the needle freely and pushed in again to loc...

This rare George IV silver mounted crocus-wood flute was made by Monzani & Co for George William Rabett. It is fitted within a purpose made seagoing Campaign box with an applied brass plaque engraved with the coat of arms, crest and motto of Geo: Wm Rabett. The silver keys with round covers are stamped with a coronet, while the body is impressed Monzani & Co. 28 Regent St Piccadilly London surmounted by a coronet and numbered 2342 and further inlaid with a silver plaque engraved with monogram G.W.R. within a garter and motto, surmounted by the family crest of Rabett. There is also the original key and an extra mouthpiece circa 1825. Hallmarks of Tebaldo Monzani and Henry Hill, London, 1823-1824. English. 1823-1824 Length of flute approx.: 28 1/3 in (72cm) box, height 3 ½ in (8.5cm), width 14 ½ in (37cm), depth 4 ½ in (11cm) Born in Verona, Tebaldo Monzani (1762-1839) was a professional flautist, composer, music publisher and innovative instrument maker. Appearing in a London concert for the first time in 1785, Monzani formed a partnership with Giambattista Cimador (1761-1805) and founded ‘The Opera Music Warehouse’ which published, among many others, the operas of Mozart. Following Cimador’s early death, Monzani formed a new partnership with Henry Hill (1781-1839) as Monzani & Co. specialising in flute making and music publishing. Following Monzani’s retirement in 1829, the firm was continued by his partner as Hill, late Monzani & Co. George Rabett (1795-1858) entered the Royal Navy inDecember 1810 as midshipman on board Galatea, 42 guns. Soon afterwards Galatea, in company with two other British frigates, engaged three French ships off Madagascar in a ‘long and trying action’ which left 16 of her crew dead and 46 wounded. After further service in the East Indies and Cape of Good Hope, in 1813 Rabett moved to Cydnus, 38 guns, participating in the capture of the United States Privateer Bunker’s Hill and then accompanying the expedition against New Orleans where he joined the army for operations ashore. In the peace, Rabett remained at sea - surviving shipwreck on the coast of Labrador and several months frozen up in the arctic circle - and was made lieutenant in January 1826. He was then appointed to Musquito, 10, in which he participated at the Battle of Navarino on 20 October 1827 and in several other operations during the Greek War of Independence. Returning to England he was made supernumerary in Nelson’s old flagship Victory and given temporary command of the royal tender Onyx serving the young Queen Victoria. However, despite good connections and a long, active and distinguished career during which he was said to have been ‘severely hurt in the execution of his duty’, Rabett never achieved flag rank demonstrating the difficulty of advancement in peacetime. His reputation today largely rests on his widely admired invention, in 1830, of a ‘Substitute Rudder’ to replace a lost rudder at sea although it never seems to have been adopted by the Royal Navy. Music and dancing played a vital role in maintaining morale and whiling away long hours at sea for both men and officers in the Royal Navy of Rabett’s day. Many captains took private bands on board or sought out and hired accomplished fiddlers to entertain their crews (see Duckworth silver page 46). Officers practised their own instruments - as immortalised by Jack Aubrey’s efforts to master the violin in the Master and Commander...

Staffordshire Pottery pearlware figure with a maritime theme which features a sailor, stood on a shaped base. Decorated 'in the round' - decoration to...

French Kings wood and brass bound Fleur-de-lis strong box with scalloped brass edge banding, centered locking mechanism with key, hinged door revealing two lower secret interior draw...

Pair of 19th century model cannon with tapering bronze barrels on original mahogany carriages.   

Nicholas Condy, Schooner at Anchor at the Tail of the Bank, oil on board, original gilt frame, English, circa 1820. Provenance: Miss Heape, Glasgow and thence by marriage Charle...

Of unusual fine quality and scale. The rectangular top with panelled hinged lid opening to a shelved and mirror interior, over two drawers over a pull-out drawer with fitted desk ove...