Incredible Art Deco POW? Ship in Bottle Folk Tramp A (02/23/2011)...

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Incredible Art Deco POW? Ship in Bottle Folk Tramp Art

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Incredible Art Deco POW? Ship in Bottle Folk Tramp Art

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Sold Date: 02/23/2011
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Transportation and Vehicles

Letting Go of Favorites .... As with the Honduran ship in bottle I posted yesterday, I won't mind if this amazing sib doesn't sell. I will get to keep it! But as I've said many times before, when you buy some nice NEW antique ships in bottles,, it's necessary to let go of some nice OLD sibs that I've had for awhile. This particular sib had a prominent place on a display shelf, but it's time to let go of a favorite.
What's For Sale? .... This is one amazing ship in bottle. I think it's likely this sib was made by a POW interned during World War II -- but there's no provenance, so I'm not positive. But there is no question about it being Art Deco -- take a look at that tower glass bottle. The multiple lines down the side ... the tower "steps" leading up to the classic Deco Bakelite cap? This piece screams Deco. As for age, it would be around the time of World War II -- 1930's through 1945, or thereabouts. Further evidence of this being a POW sib is found in researching the bottle, which is embossed "Rawleigh's." In other words, this bottle was a medicinal bottle probably containing Rawleigh's antiseptic -- and it's also documented that some soldiers during World War II carried these bottles with them as a means of treating wounds on the battlefield. See: /Rawleigh_History.htm But regardless of whether it's made by a POW or not -- this sib stands on its own as a beautiful high-end sib.
Details, Details ... The bottle is fairly small -- only 7 inches (18 cm) in length ... 1.5 inches (4 cm) in depth, and 3 inches (7 cm) wide. What does that mean? It means the maker of this sib was one heck-of-a maker of ships in bottles. He was highly skilled to make all the details inside at that almost miniature scale. How detailed are the contents? You can't possibly see everything inside the bottle. For example, aft of the ship model, floating on the water are three ducks. As small as the ducks are, you can see a yellow beak and eyes. The mountainside is similarly amazing -- very, very realistic. There are at least a dozen 3-D hand carved and hand painted buildings in the diorama, all painted similarly, but all slightly different. Included in the buildings is a lovely church and lighthouse. Even these tiny buildings are incredibly detailed. The main ship model is similarly beautiful, with complicated rigging and a hand painted British naval flag aft. Adjacent to the ship are two smaller sea going sailboats port-side. And to the rear of the diorama, behind the white capped mountains is a beautifully painted sky. Notice how the sky is lighter (more yellow) further down the horizon and darker up high -- as would be the case with a setting sun.
Museum Quality Ship In Bottle ... If you want to add a true museum quality ship in bottle to your collection, you can't go wrong with this one.
Don't hesitate to ask questions regarding this item :

Note: I'm cleaning out the sib closet . Check out my other items -- I'll be posting other ships in bottle in the very near future.

Interested in learning more about ships in bottle? Join the Ships in Bottle Association of America. Check out the website: / Learn more from the people who still make them. (FYI, I myself don't have the patience, but I can appreciate the results all the same.)

Original vs. Factory Made: There are a lot of ships in bottles listed on eBay which are mass produced in a factory-like setting. In my opinion, those "sibs" will not increase significantly in value over time. Most of them are not worth the cost of shipping. This ship in bottle is made the traditional way, through the neck. It is an original piece of folk art, not made in a factory in China ... see my comments below concerning value.

A Word About Value ... I have no clue how many ships in bottles I've sold on eBay through the years, but suffice it to say -- quite a few. And as with all products and services during this economic downturn, there are definite trends t...