The Romance of the Sea in Miniature by Lloyd McCaffery
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Napoleons barge, a rare relic ofan age of excessive splendor, was built for the emperors visit to inspect the defences ofAntwerp in 1810 and is now preserved in the Musee de la Marine in Paris. The model is built to the scale of'!/'= 1 '. or 1h1 life size. It is based on the museums plans and on my own observations and photographs. The hull was built upside down on a .framework of templates. The port side was planked in degama, fastened with several hundred copper rivets and left natural. The starboard side is planked in apple, fastened with wood treenails, and painted. All planks are laid lapstrake or clinker fashion; the interior .fames were steam bent in two layers, and each .fame had to be notched over twelve planks per side. The interior ofthe coach house has a painted decoration on the ceiling and three Empire-style chairs for furnishings. It has an edging made ftom hand-bent boxwood arches, each halflapped at two places. This railing is topped with a boxwood molding and is mounted on 152 hand-turned pillars. The oars are turned and carved ftom degama or lance wood, with the starboard set painted and leathered and those on the port left natural. The carvings involved the greatest investment oftime on the model. The figurehead group represents Neptune with cherubs holding seashells, backed by dolphins. The house is surmounted by a huge crown supported by cherubs with drapery and garlands, all carved ftom box, while its sides are festooned with twelve drops, displaying crossed cannons, rigging details, and armor. The ends ofthe house have wreaths of oak leaves and wheat. A large badge on the stern bears the Imperial eagle surmounted by a crown with 32 hand-turned pearls and is supported by two figures, one holding a staff, the other blowing a turned trumpet of boxwood. The side badges on the house bear the LN cipher, and are supported by two cherubs with wings.
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hip figureheads and other carvings with a nautical theme have always been objects offascination and interest. They seem magically charged with an aura of mystery and romance, perhaps because they have been to far-off places and exotic locales, and they are excellent subjects to recreate in miniature. My interest and activity in this area goes back almost forty years, to when I first began creating ship models to both large and miniature scales. Some of the figureheads have been less than 1/4" high, while others are almost two feet tall. And, as the photos show, the carving on a model can be very complex. Getting to the point where I can begin a carving is also a long process. First I gather as much information on the subject as possible, which may include taking measurements and making drawings of the original. Permission may be required if the original is in a museum. I then make up a sketch of what I want to create, usually just a side and front view, since figureheads are normally posed "foursquare" because of their position on the ship. I have also taken to reconstructing "lost" figureheads, and creating my own figure sculptures with nautical themes. The carving of the original figurehead of the frigate USS Constitution shows the result of much research and design, and the figure of Neptune is my interpretation of this ancient theme. To do this sort of work requires training as an artist and sculptor. The basic foundation courses, such as drawing, life drawing, and instruction in the principles and elements of design are essential to creating good work that is aesthetically pleasing. Ir is possible to make a bad carving of a beautiful figurehead. The material I use is that most excellent of woods Buxus semperverins, or common boxwood. Seen everywhere as the green clipped hedge plant along sidewalks, it has a secret life as the finest material for miniature carving. It has a dense, firm texture and lack of open pores that make it perfectly suited to fine detail and a handsome
SEA HISTORY 104, SPRING/SUMMER 2003