Model, of French 80-gun warship

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This model represents a French 80-gun warship from around 1800. Made of bone, the model was made by a French prisoner-of-war. It is built to a scale of 1:192 and was restored and re-rigged in the workshops of the National Museums of Scotland.

The effort taken in the decoration of the work suggests that the prisoner may have been an ivory carver from Brest in Brittany. He must also have had knowledge of contemporary French naval practice as there are a great deal of nautical features and fittings on the model.

During the Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815), many French prisoners were taken to British gaols or prison ships. Some were allowed to settle into local communities and those who were skilled in crafts began to make ship models which could be sold. The models were often built using dried, bleached meat bones. Wood, ivory, straw and human hair were also used. The prisoners had to rely upon memory which makes the scale of some of the models rather doubtful.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-180-002-097-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland Part 2
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  T.1925.43
• Date: Model & original: Around 1800
  
• Material: Bone
  Warship / model
  
• Dimensions: 10.50" between perpendiculars x 2.50" broad
  
• What: Warship / model
  
• Subject: 23. SHIPPING, Sailing Ships, post 1760 (Departmental Classification)
  
• Who:
• Where:
• Event: Napoleonic Wars
  
• Description: Model in bone of a Napoleonic warship with 80 guns
  
• References:
  • Storer, J D. Ship Models in the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh: A catalogue of models representing the history of shipping from 1500 BC to the present day. Edinburgh: Royal Scottish Museum Information Series, 1985, p 23. 
• Translations:
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