By: Philip S. Reed

A notorious 38-gun heavy British frigate of the Leda Class was launched in 1806 at Chatham Dockyard, and served in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. Her famous Captain Philip Broke demanded a crack gun crew, which carried the ship to many victorious battles, including his confrontation with the America frigate Chesapeake in 1813 off Boston. This waterline display portrays the vessel on a calm sea towing one ship's boats and ‘back-winding’ her sails as though awaiting its next prey. The solid wood core model has been planked-over with the bottom partially copper sheathed. It shows individual deck planking and other precisely made deck furniture, gear, armament, stowed boats, and fittings. The decorations are handsomely displayed on the stern and a small half female polychrome figurehead is at the bow. It is painted with a black topsides and thin ocher gunport band, with buff ocher interior bulwarks. The model is thoroughly rigged with twisted copper wire appropriately painted, tissues sails in various configurations. The water is hand-carved of jet long and then hand-painted with artist oils. It is mounted in a English oak burl veneer case with matching trim and two brass engraved plaques.

Model type: Waterline
Scale: 1/16" = 1'
Size: 22 1/2” x 10 3/4" x 14 7/8”
Class: A/Special
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