Lee Wright Antiques & Interiors Ltd has dated this piece to the 1920s.
The name plate identifies her as the Sant'Antonio and details on the funnels reading OES presumably refer to the name of the shipping firm who owned her at this point in time. The vessel herself must have been enormous and this model, probably made to scale, is extremely large but it is also highly detailed. See for example the details of the rigging, the winches, the porthole-type cabin windows and the series of lifeboats. There are functioning doors and latches, moving propellors and the original paintwork, vividly rendered in blue, red and white.
This piece is a beautiful example of early twentieth century model making, possibly made in Italy judging by the contraction used in the ship's name.
A really interesting and unusual item.
Lee Wright Antiques & Interiors Ltd has dated this piece to the 1920s.
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Lee Wright Antiques & Interiors Ltd Profile Page