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Lot 21A

A marquetry writing slope, HMS Captain
15x10x6ins.(38x25x15cm)

8 October 2014, 14:00 BST
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £625 inc. premium

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A marquetry writing slope, HMS Captain

The lid with polychrome marquetry inlay of the steam battleship HMS Captain at sea off a signal station, with decorative border. The interior with fold-out slope covered in blue velvet, and interior boxes and drawers with ivory buttons. 15x10x6ins.(38x25x15cm)

Footnotes

A memento of a notorious disaster.

During the Crimean War, Cowper Coles, an engineer, developed a revolving turret for ships, which met with some success. Commissioned by the Admiralty to work with the Constructors to design an ocean-going version, he produced designs to a single and double turret ship, which the Admiralty finally decided not to build. Stung by this rejection, Coles lobbied Parliament and was finally allowed to commission his design from a private builder. HMS Captain was build by Laird's at Birkenhead and was launched in 1869. Undergoing her sea trials with the Channel Fleet, on September 6th 1870 she was caught in a severe gale off Cape Finisterre and capsized with the loss of 480 men, including Cowper Coles. The subsequent enquiry determined that the design, with low freeboard and three square rigged masts, was inherently unstable.

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