A JAPANESE BUILDER'S MODEL FOR THE TRIPLE SCREW TURBINE PASSENGER LINER SHINYO MARU, BUILT BY MITSUBISHI DOCKYARD AND ENGINE WORKS, NAGASAKI, CIRCA 1910 AND BELIEVED TO BE THE ONLY SURVIVING PRE-1945 EXAMPLE
the laminated and carved hull finished in lacquer with bilge keels, rudder, gilt propellers and portholes, lowered and moored companionway, lined decks and hatch covers, with fittings including anchor crane and winch, capstans, ventilators, bitts, rigged derrits, white painted superstructure with bridge with search lamp over, carved and covered lifeboats in davits, stayed funnels, with safety value, extension pipe and funnel, raked masts with standing rigging and ladders, wood capped deck rails, engine room lights, multiple fire buckets, mushroom ventilators, water buckets, emergency helms, telegraphs and binnacle and much other fine detailing, mounted on four turned baluster supports to painted display base with dual ivorine builder's plates in Japanese and English (restoration and some replaced parts) -- 44 x 144in. (112 x 366cm.) together with a folder of data and letters from Mitsubishi regarding history etc.; and including a contemporary advertising brochure
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Provenance: Brussels World's Fair, 1910 (Japanese Pavillion); Museum of Human Knowledge, Brussels, 1910-closure; Private owner-1997; 1997-date Private Collector, Belgium.

Launched on the 18th February 1911 with her maiden voyage on August 26th that year, Shinyo Maru was the third and last of a class of crack turbine liners built between 1908-10 for the Toyo Kisen Line which was competing strongly for trans-Pacific traffic against the Pacific Mail Steamship Company and the Occidental and Oriental Steamship Company. Measuring 575ft with a breadth of 63ft. she displaced nearly 22,000 tons and her triple screws gave her a brisk speed of 21 knots. The company went so far as to state in their own literature that The three steamships undoubtedly represent, on the Pacific, the high standard maintained by the "Mauretania" and the "Lusitania" on the Atlantic. Luxuriously appointed throughout to top Western specifications, they were elegantly furnished with Oriental-style Western furniture and decor and could accommodate 210 First; 57 Second and 754 Third Class passengers. Plying a regular route between Hong Kong and San Francisco, in 1926 the Toyo Line was taken over by Nippon Yusen and from 1932 she was laid up, eventually broken up in 1936.

This model is a scarce survivor - modelled in the English style, there are several distinctly Japanese elements - such as the lacquered hull and rudder, and the multiple chain stays applied to the funnels. Having been displayed at the World's Fair in Brussels in 1910, it seems that it was donated to a local museum. As a consequence it survived the atomic bomb that devastated Nagasaki in 1945 and which incinerated every other Mitsubishi model.

This model will be available for viewing at Imperial Road

END OF SALE

Our next sale is scheduled for 1st May, 2018 for which entries are now invited.

Condition Report
When the model was recovered from the museum, some parts had been removed and the lifeboats and anchor winches are modern - but correct - replacements; There is no case and the baseboard is split along lamination down middle.

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.