Ships, Folk Art, and Whimsey in Bottles

This is a model of the Buffle built in a 1 liter bottle. In 1885, the Navy planned the construction of a tug for Cherbourg.Its order was passed at the Ateliers de la Loire in Nantes the following year: its design is linked to a dual mission: towing and defense of the harbor. and so the second Buffle was launched on March 11, 1887. Its elegant forms brought it closer to the aviso than to the tugboat. It was 333 tons with 600 horse-power.