After the Napoleonic Wars and French sailors returned home, the city of Dieppe had already begun a school of artisans which excelled in crafted miniature ivory models of intricate nature. Ships, such as this great example, were proiminent, as well as cased diorama scenes of life's activities and other unusual but highly artisitic works.
This ship has the most delicately slivered ivory sails and fine rigging lines, while it is set on a hardwood block in a petite glass dome with an highly decorative gesso cast base. The red velvet cover also shows the small gilt plaque attributing it to a Napoleonic Prisoner-of-War work, very much in the style of the declarations placed on many such items by the famous galleries throughout London in th e20th Century. We have no question as to the attribution of this ship as a work of the Dieppe School of Modelers.
Original domed case with scroll cast plaster measures 8" L x 4 1/2" W x 9" H.
