£800 - £1,000
A FINELY DETAILED 1:96 SCALE MODEL OF THE CLIPPER SEA WITCH, 20TH CENTURY
the 23in. hull with gold dragon figurehead, planked decks, with painted wood and metal fittings as appropriate, bound masts with standing and running rigging with painted tops and full suit of stitched linen sails, mounted on cradle stand, within brass glazed display case -- 25 x 36½ x 13in. (63.5 x 93 x 33cm.)
The Sea Witch was an American clipper ship designed by John W. Griffiths for the China trade firm of Howland & Aspinwall and launched on December 8, 1846 - her distinctive figurehead was a Chinese dragon with an open mouth and a partly coiled tail. After gold was discovered in California, the Sea Witch's owners transferred her from the China trade to the new Cape Horn run from the East Coast to San Francisco. Early in 1850 the Sea Witch completed this passage in just 97 days - the first vessel ever to do so in less than 100. By the middle of the decade she was showing her age and younger vessels were out performing her. In 1856, with approximately 500 immigrants from China aboard, she ran aground 12 miles west of Havana and became a total loss.
Fees apply to the hammer price:
Free Registration
32.4% inc VAT*
Flat Fee Registration
28.80% inc VAT*
