A rare large 19th century German wooden painted Noah's Ark w...

Estimate

£2,000 - £3,000

A rare large 19th century German wooden painted Noah's Ark with over 200 animals Noah and wife, the bow bottom ark with painted dove to roof, decorative painted floral border above windows and doorway and sliding panel to one side, one deck end with painted Sandringham stencil and painted catalogue No. EI – 097 ‘ 7 to base, 28 ½” (72cm) long, 16 ¾” (43cm) high, 8 ¼” (21cm) deep, 4 1/2" (11.5cm) tall, (condition: generally fair to good, repair to lower part of sliding panel, some old (inactive) woodworm holes, part of one end with loss), with Noah, wife and two further figures, seventy-six pairs of animals including zebras, elephants, camels, cows, horses, various deer, lions, sheep, cats and dogs, monkeys, moles, rabbits anteaters, guinea pigs, buffalo and more, thirty-eight single animals, three pairs of birds and fourteen single birds, tallest Giraffe 5 ½” (14cm) smallest Guinea Pig ¾” (2cm) tall, (condition: mostly with good original paint, some animals lack legs/ears, and others with old repairs). The stencilled ‘Sandringham’ mark and catalogue number would indicate that this ark was possibly once part of the estates nursery. The ark was purchased by the vendors aunt who resided in Norfolk some time in the 1970s.