Beschreibung:

A large and impressive late-19th century German silver-gilt two masted nef, with import marks for Chester 1900, importer's mark of Berthold Muller, the hull decorated with Salacia and sea nymphs, with foliate scroll decoration, the bow with a spout and mounted with an anchor, with an engraved rudder, the deck mounted with figures, canons, and balustraded stairways and a central compass, the stern with a canopy and with a hanging basket, the rigging with figures, on four swan mounted pierced wheels, on a later wooden plinth applied with a presentation plaque, inscribed 'Presented to Sir Donald Currie G.C.M.G and Lady Currie on the occasion of their Golden Wedding 18th June 1901 by the Staff of Messrs. Donald Currie and Co. and the Commanders of the Union Castle Line Fleet', length 50cm, height off plinth 66cm, height on plinth 76.3cm, approx. weight 121oz. Provenance: Sir Donald Currie and then by direct descent to the current owner. Donald Currie was born in Greenock in 1825. At fourteen he entered the shipping office of a relative in Greenock, and four years later he joined the Cunard Steamship Company. In 1862 he started the Castle Shipping Company, which consisted of sailing ships between Liverpool and Calcutta. In 1900 his line merged with the Union Steamship Company, which were the principal line for trade between England and South Africa, to become the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company. Before Sir Donald's death in 1909, the company had forty-seven steamers with a gross tonnage of 295,411 tons. In 1880 he entered Parliament as one of the members for Perthshire until 1885, and then he represented West Perthshire as a Liberal Unionist form 1886 until his retirement form Parliament in 1900. In 1880 he purchased the Garth Estate in Perthshire, and four years later he acquired the adjoining Glen Lyon estate. In his later years he was a huge benefactor to universities, and he died on 13 April 1909, in Sidmouth, Devon, and was buried in the churchyard of Fortingal, beside his Highland Home. Read more »