Ships, Folk Art, and Whimsey in Bottles

This is the steamboat Metamora built as a whole hull model in a bottle. The steamboat was built in multiple sections of hull and deck parts assembled in bottle. There are 3 full decks and pilot cabin in top. The second and top deck has railing going around the decks. There are many port windows and doors pained on the cabins. A single black smoke stack in centered on top deck. There are also red and green lights, a single mast with one spar, 3 small vent pipes and an American flag flying atop a long pole. A single life boat is mounted on the very rear of the middle deck. There is a large red stern wheel paddle on rear of the boat. On the main deck on the bow is a very tall pole with an American flag flying. There are also 2 passenger gang planks with supporting lifts mounted on the deck. The bottle is sealed with a cork and a hemp rope is wrapped about 1" of the neck. The bottle rests in a wooden cradle. The Metamora was a noted boat of Civil War times, running from several ports to Albany, NY. Later it was part of the Lucas Line which ran several steamboats along the St. Johns & Oklawaha Rivers in the 1890's.