TOY

Three fragments from two different Post Medieval lead alloy toy ships dating to the second half of the 17th century. Out of the two ships represented here one is almost complete and of the other ship there are two fragments which conjoin to form one mast. Both ships are of a flat, one-sided openwork construction. The more complete vessel has two surviving masts with rigging on each side of the mast. The body of the ship is crescentic divided up into an openwork square grid pattern. The strands of the grid pattern are decorated with a twisted rope pattern. There are small circular projections located on the lower edges of some of the squares - possibily representing guns. There are similar circular projections along the deck. On the left side along the bottom there is a line of ring and dot motifs. On the base there is a long, thin, flattened section forming a narrow stand. A section of rigging and part of the right hand side of the ship is broken and missing and there is a crack along the middle of the ship. Of the second ship the frament includes a mast with rigging down each side reaching down to the deck. There is a scalloped edge along the bottom of the mast and the rigging presumably marking the edge of the deck.

A toy ship with similar masts and rigging is illustrated in Forsyth & Egan (2005:323) no. 10.17, however the body of the ship is solid and the stand is a different shape. This published example is described as a three-masted warship dated 1660 - 1675, suggesting a similar date for the two ships above.

Dimensions of ship 1: length: 49.29mm; width: 49.85mm; thickness: 1.13mm; weight: 7.30g.

Dimensions of ship 2: length: 37.38mm; width: 22.17mm; thickness: 1.14mm; weight: 1.45g.

Reference: Forsyth, H. and Egan, G. 2005. Toys, Trifles and Trinkets. Base Metal Miniatures from London 1200 to 1800. Unicorn Press, London.