Ivory model of the three-decker ship "Royal Louis"... Lot 93

Ivory model of the three-decker ship "Royal Louis" flying a white flag. Dieppe 1814/1815. The model, with its sails, is presented afloat and rests at the "top" of an octagonal stepped construction with all the decorative elements made of ivory. The model, despite its size, is incredibly slender and is in every way consistent with the ship it is the model of. Hull, beam, figurehead, bottles, stern, rigging, weapons are as close as possible to what can be reproduced at the scale that is his. The "Royal Louis" is placed on a mercury mirror, simulating the sea, itself bordered by a thin golden yellow velvet ribbon. The sea is bounded by chains (all the links of which are made of ivory!) stretched between bollards. Finally, this upper part is surrounded by balustrades and pillars. On these pillars are Medici vases decorated with foliage and four busts of figures. Should we see the statues of admirals of the Royal Navy? The sides of the tier are adorned with black lacquered panels decorated with flowers in relief and inlaid with friezes of oak leaves, fleurs-de-lis and five-pointed Legion of Honour crosses. The lower part of the tier is lined with balustrades and pillars on which covered Medici vases and helmeted soldiers armed with spears are positioned. A cutter and a brig, familiar boats since they are very common on the French coast, sail in the stern of the "Royal Louis". These remarkable models are not made of ivory, but of boxwood. They are not really part of the stage, they simply allow us to appreciate the phenomenal dimensions of "Royal Louis". Once this impression is sought and perceived, they are, by illusion, forgotten. The set rests on a blackened wooden support, mounted on four "ball" feet. A glass globe protects the whole thing. Length of the hull (Scale close to a thousandth): 7.5 cm. Length HT of the ship 10 cm. Base: 29 cm x 18.5 cm. The period globe has been replaced. Note 1: This model in majesty is like a devotional object placed on an altar. Royalt