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ID #SA1212348
FOR SALE
£975
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19th Century Cased Diorama of Two Sailing Vessels Racing at Sea, Circa 1860
For sale by Robert Belcher Antiques
for sale €1,141     $1,238
£975
Robert Belcher Antiques

Robert Belcher Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Jul 2017
Browse dealers 407 items
  • About Us
    Robert belcher antiques was established in 1984 and is a high quality retailer of interesting, rare antiques and decorative items.
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Id #SA1212348
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19th Century Cased Diorama of Two Sailing Vessels Racing at Sea, Circa 1860

19th century
Description

This most attractive mid 19th century folk art cased diorama shows a view at sea with a large three mast English ship being chased in a racing situation by a smaller and faster single mast yacht. Both are passing by a lighthouse which is in the foreground.

This diorama has been beautifully handmade. The vessel, sails and lighthouse are all hand carved in wood and very nicely painted in bright colours as is the setting of the choppy sea which has most likely been formed in papier mâché.

The most appealing element of this piece is its small compact size which easily lends itself for display on a shelf, table or perhaps wall mounted.

The case is made from nailed pine boards which have been papered and painted black and finished with a glazed front set into putty.

The glass is original and period with a lovely handmade imperfections.

This decorative diorama is in excellent original condition.

English, circa 1860

Height 16cm x width 52.5cm x depth 8.5cm max.

Date of Manufacture

Robert Belcher Antiques has dated this Victorian Cased Ship Diorama to the 1860s.

Independent Date Check ID 09486436
Dealer's Item Date1860s
Sellingantiques Date1860s
Sellingantiques agingItem 125-165 years old
Test ResultsPassed dating check
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to THE 1860s:
Nailed pine case with canted sides: typical framing for Victorian shadow boxes.
Textured sea modelled in relief with painted foam: standard folk art practice.
Carved wooden hulls and sails with fine rigging: hand craft before mass production.
Hand-painted sky background: typical colouring for the late 19th century.
Red Ensign flag at the gaff: British merchant livery after 1864.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Physical Dimensions
Height
16cm (6.30")
Width
52.5cm (20.67")
Depth
8.5cm (3.35")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1212348
Dealers Notes

Robert Belcher Antiques was established in 1984 and is a high-quality retailer of interesting, rare antiques and decorative objects. After forty years of shop keeping and maintaining beautiful showrooms, which have been regularly open six days a week, Robert and Wendy have now taken a slightly different approach to their business. Having sold their retail premises, the antique business is now fully online. The picture framing service has ceased to operate because of moving online.

You can contact Robert and Wendy by email or telephone to discuss items from their extensive catalogue of attractive pieces and make purchases. Customers can rest assured that the long-established dealership is continuing to run in an exceedingly professional way, selling genuine and high-quality items which are guaranteed to please the most discerning collector, decorator or homeowner.

All items will be personally hand packaged to a high standard. Small items are extensively wrapped using the best materials and are often double boxed. Items are then shipped with DHL or Royal Mail fully insured and often with next day delivery. Larger items would be personally delivered or sent with a specialist antique delivery firm, or for outside the U.K, a professional shipping company.

Please enjoy viewing their collection of rare and interesting pieces and have the assurance that Robert and Wendy will do their utmost to make sure your experience is exceptional, as has been recognised by many customers who have bought with confidence regularly over the years.

Contact details

Email: robertbelcherantiques@gmail.com

Telephone: 01905 622468

Mobile 07929 011224

07720 607007

Website: https://www.robertbelcherantiques.co.uk

Instagram: robertbelcherantiques

Description
This most attractive mid 19th century folk art cased diorama shows a view at sea with a large three mast English ship being chased in a racing situation by a smaller and faster single mast yacht. Both are passing by a lighthouse which is in the foreground.

This diorama has been beautifully handmade.

“
The vessel, sails and lighthouse are all hand carved in wood and very nicely painted in bright colours as is the setting of the choppy sea which has most likely been formed in papier mâché.
Robert Belcher Antiques
fig 1. A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea.
fig 1. 19th Century Cased Diorama of Two Sailing Vessels Racing at Sea, Circa 1860

The most appealing element of this piece is its small compact size which easily lends itself for display on a shelf, table or perhaps wall mounted.

The case is made from nailed pine boards which have been papered and painted black and finished with a glazed front set into putty.

The glass is original and period with a lovely handmade imperfections.

This decorative diorama is in excellent original condition.

English, circa 1860

Height 16cm x width 52.5cm x depth 8.5cm max.

Date of Manufacture

Robert Belcher Antiques has dated this Victorian Cased Ship Diorama to the 1860s.

Independent Date Report ID 09486436
Dealer's Item Date1860s
Sellingantiques dating1860s
Sellingantiques agingItem 125-165 years old
Test ResultsPassed dating check
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to the 1860s:
Nailed pine case with canted sides: typical framing for Victorian shadow boxes.
Textured sea modelled in relief with painted foam: standard folk art practice.
Carved wooden hulls and sails with fine rigging: hand craft before mass production.
Hand-painted sky background: typical colouring for the late 19th century.
Red Ensign flag at the gaff: British merchant livery after 1864.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Height
16cm (6.30")
Width
52.5cm (20.67")
Depth
8.5cm (3.35")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1212348
Robert Belcher Antiques
Robert Belcher Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Jul 2017

Robert belcher antiques was established in 1984 and is a high quality retailer of interesting, rare antiques and decorative items.

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Robert Belcher Antiques Profile Page

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A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea.
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Archive I A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea.

19th Century Cased Diorama of Two Sailing Vessels Racing at Sea, Circa 1860

Archive II A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea. View II
Archive III A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea. View III
Archive IV A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea. View IV
Archive V A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea. View V
Archive VI A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea. View VI
Archive VII A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea. View VII
Archive VIII A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea. View VIII
Archive IX A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea. View IX
Archive X A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea. View X
Archive XI A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea. View XI
Enlarged Archival View
Robert Belcher Antiques

Robert Belcher Antiques
Telephone 07929 011224 or 01905 622468
Location
Worcestershire
United Kingdom

By appointment only.
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/rbelcher
Verified Since Jul 2017
Items For Sale 407
Items Sold 682
Robert Belcher Antiques
Robert Belcher Antiques
Verified Since Jul 2017
View Dealer Info
Location: Worcestershire, United Kingdom, , By appointment only.
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/rbelcher
Verified
Jul 2017
For Sale
407
Sold
682
A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea.
19th century cased diorama of two sailing vessels racing at sea, circa 1860
Ref: SA1212348
A nineteenth-century glass-fronted black wooden shadow box featuring a carved and painted diorama of two sailing ships and a lighthouse on a textured sea.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Detail View 5
Detail View 6
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Detail View 10
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectMaritime Folk Art
  • Period19th century
  • StyleVictorian Maritime Folk Art
  • MaterialWood, Glass, Paint, Plaster
  • ColourBlue, White, Black
  • MotifsSailing vessels, Lighthouse, Rigging detail, Moulded sea swells
  • SizeH 16 cm (6 in) x W 52.5 cm (21 in) x D 8.5 cm (3 in)

This nineteenth-century Victorian maritime folk art cased diorama depicts two sailing vessels racing at sea alongside a lighthouse. Constructed from wood, glass, paint, and plaster, the shadow box features a black painted pine frame enclosing a hand-carved scene of a large three-masted ship and a smaller single-mast yacht navigating choppy green and white moulded sea swells beneath a pale blue sky. Details include red and blue flags, detailed rigging, and a white lighthouse with a red-domed roof positioned in the foreground. The original glazed front is set into putty within nailed boards. Measuring 16 cm high, 52.5 cm wide, and 8.5 cm deep, this compact piece fits easily onto a mantelpiece, shelf, table, or wall mount within a gentleman's library, study, or living space today.

FAQs

A maritime shadow box diorama is a three-dimensional folk art representation of ships at sea, housed within a glass-fronted wooden display case created predominantly during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Craftsmen and sailors typically utilised carved wood, painted plaster or putty for sea swells, bone, thread for rigging, and hand-painted card or canvas backdrops enclosed behind sheet glass.

Authentic Victorian pieces often feature period joinery, mouth-blown or older sheet glass with subtle surface variations, original painted surfaces with age-related crazing, and period-accurate naval architecture details.

These objects serve as focal points when positioned on a mantelpiece, bookshelf, or console table within coastal, transitional, or traditional study settings.

Keep the case sealed to protect internal components from dust, clean the exterior glass with a dry microfibre cloth, and position the diorama away from direct sunlight and fluctuating humidity levels.
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