20th Century Model of the Schooner Yacht America – Christie's Provenance

20th Century Model of the Schooner Yacht America – Christie's Provenance

Item: #4338

Elevate your collection with this exquisite, historic ship model boasting distinguished auction provenance. This piece was formerly featured as Lot 36 in the Christie's New York Maritime auction held on Tuesday 30 July 2002. Identified as a model of the renowned schooner yacht America, this piece was crafted by an anonymous American builder in the 20th century.

Prior to the auction, Christie's placed an estimated value of $2,000–$4,000 on this magnificent piece.

Model Specifications & Craftsmanship

According to the Christie's catalog description, the model is constructed with the following features:

• Hull Construction: A solid hull model featuring black painted topsides and a copper clad bottom.

• Deck Detailing: The deck is intricately fitted with numerous details, including anchors, anchor davits, deck eyes, turning blocks, skylights, ship's boats on davits, companionways, windlass, and a tiller.

• Rigging & Sails: It is fully rigged with two masts, comprehensive standing and running rigging, a full suit of linen sails, an American yacht ensign, and a name pennant.

• Mounting (Per Catalog): The original catalog notes the model is mounted on a mahogany board with wood cradles.

• Catalog Dimensions: 65×11.5×54 in. (165.1×29.2×137.2 cm.).

The History of the Yacht America

This model pays tribute to one of the most famous vessels in racing history. In August 1851, members of the New York Yacht Club competed in the Queen's Cup with the original 170-ton schooner America. The America sailed against 14 yachts from the Royal Yacht Squadron in a historic race around the Isle of Wight. She claimed victory, winning the prize of a silver cup. In 1857, this prestigious cup was presented to the New York Yacht Club to be held as a world trophy, forever after known as the America's Cup.