Ships, Folk Art, and Whimsey in Bottles

This is a model of the "Black Swan 1696" built in a bottle and mounted on a decorative base with a holder containing a quill eagles feather designed for a desk display. The ship has 2 masts and 8 sails and sails on a sea of blue with gentle waves. The hull is dark brown and has a thin white strip midway on the hull. The rigging is fairly simple but does show shrouds and ratlines. On the deck of the ship are 2 hatches and a glasshouse with separate panes represented. There is railing the length of the ship. The deck also has eight cannons. On the bow are 2 anchors suspended from gold colored chains. The bottle is sealed with a cork that is wrapped with rope. There is a Turks head knot on the neck of the bottle. The bottle sits on a raised oak block with an oval label with the words; "Black Swan 1696." The block is mounted on an oak base with molded edges. The base also has a black ink well containing a large Eagle’s feather (probably turkey).