Model Of The Ship "the Sphynx". France, 20th Century.

Model of the ship "The Sphynx" of very high quality. The wooden part is an excellent work of cabinetmaking, several types of wood were used in particular for the deck which is composed of a marquetry of small slats of 2 different woods, fixed by tiny brass nails which is exceptional and announces a total mastery of the tool and an understanding of the material because nailing such narrow planks without them splitting is a miracle. Let us say that all the gratings are made by assembling tiny wooden strips the size of a match which are also assembled by bronze nails numbering around fifty, in order to prevent the wood from splitting, the artist probably had to drill them before nailing them. The figurehead and the various metal decorations are also of unusual quality. All these metal parts representing a woman, suns and sphinxes are cast bronze, chiseled and gilded with fine gold. Some parts are hammered with amatis, it is a goldsmith's work. The hull is entirely covered with hammered copper plates. According to the heirs, this model would have been created between 1960 and 1990 as well as about fifteen others. Good condition, some broken cables, some repaired by gluing but it is really tiny. Dimensions with the base: 18cm x 60cm x 40cm.
The Sphinx was the French ship that brought the Luxor Obelisk back to Paris in the 19th century.