AN EXCEPTIONALLY FINE 1:96 SCALE STATIC DISPLAY MODEL OF THE FAMOUS COMPOSITE TEA CLIPPER ARIEL, ORIGINALLY BUILT BY ROBERT STEELE & CO., 1865

modelled by I.W. Marsh circa 1957, with 24in. carved hull copper sheathed below the waterline and ebonised and scored above with port holes, boarding companionway with gratings, sponson boom, carved bone figurehead with scrollwork, finely planked decks with fittings including green painted capstan and anchor winch, with studded chain and metal anchors, companionway with brass ship's bell, covered hatches, belaying rails and pins, carved ship's boats, one lashed over a chicken coop, deck house with chimney and fire buckets, signalling guns, brass binnacle and helm with steering gear revealed under hinged lid, painted and lined bulwarks, masts with painted lower sections and yards, with standing and running riggings with blocks and tackle and suspension chains, yards with foot ropes and stuns'l booms, mounted on two turned brass supports within glazed oak display case with historical data on printed card -- cased dimensions 25 x 51 x 18in. (63.5 x 129.5 x 46cm.)

Provenance: 1956 Model Engineer Exhibition (awarded Silver in Sailing Category); 1957 boarded Mayflower II and exhibited in United States; Alan Villiers collection; l on loan to National Maritime Museum, Greenwich 1982-1992, Ref No. NMM1865-17 / SLR0977; and thence by descent.

Models by the renowned modeller Ike W. Marsh are exceptionally rare with most examples now in museum collections - three are stored at Chatham as part of the national collection at Greenwich where this lot was formerly on loan. The attention to detail that Marsh provides is remarkable and that, combined with his instinct for good presentation ensure his models are highly prized on the rare occasion they come to open market. Marsh met Villiers when he was taken on as a rigger during the filming of the Gregory Peck movie Moby Dick. As a consequence, Peck commissioned a model from Marsh which is presumably now in America, but Marsh was latterly hired by Villiers as bosun aboard the Mayflower II for her trip to America in 1957 when he took this model with him for a loan exhibition, selling it to Villiers shortly thereafter. His full hull models always have similar characteristics with singular sheathing, painted yards reefed round, boats stowed upside down, fiendishly detailed and accurate silk rigging (he was a rigger by trade); ornate turned brass supports and roomy airtight cases which are often signed alongside a glass panel within.

Of all the magnificent tea clippers of the 1860's, Ariel proved one of the fastest and certainly one of the best known after her performance in the Tea Race of 1866. Built at Greenock by Robert Steele in 1865, Ariel had been ordered for Shaw, Lowther & Maxton of London for their prestigious China fleet and no expense was spared in her construction. Registered at 852 tons net, she measured 197½ feet in length with a 33¼ foot beam, and proved capable of a remarkable 16 knots when coaxed by the right captain in optimum conditions. In fact, she made her name for speed from the start when, leaving Foochow loaded with the new season's tea on May 28th, 1866, she began her epic run home in company with Taeping and three other famous clippers. Dashing across the world's oceans, passing and re-passing each other continuously, Ariel and Taeping raced neck and neck up the English Channel and finally docked in London within half-an-hour of each other on the evening of September 6th after the most spectacular race in the history of the tea trade. Equally good passages followed almost every year until she retired from the tea route in 1871 after which she switched to the Australia run. On January 31st, 1872, she cleared London for Sydney but was never heard of again nor was any trace of her ever found, a tragic end for such a legendary flyer.

This lot will be available for viewing at Imperial Road.

Condition Report

Fine overall condition.

We are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of this property. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Charles Miller Ltd is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD “AS IS” IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE.