This Antique ‘Ships Tiller’ is a Shocker!

This is the most extravagant antique Ships Tiller on the market today - it’s carved with Princess Victoria’s head (later Queen Victoria) and it takes three men to lift it. Carved to resemble the rope twist, this tiller was made specifically for high days (regattas etc) and Sunday’s. It dates to circa 1840 (The Princess Victoria became Queen in 1837) and although we don't know which ship or sailing yacht this tiller was made for, it was certainly made for something rather special!
Here’s the description from Wick Antiques webpage: A large ship’s ‘Sunday’ tiller carved with Queen Victoria’s likeness. This long yacht tiller is made from a single, solid piece of mahogany and has a typical shallow S-curve. The terminal is carved with the head of the young Queen Victoria. Below this is a brass-mounted grip and a long section carved to simulate multiple strands of twisted rope. The square section end, which has a socket for the rudder, is decorated with panels of acanthus leaf scrolls. English, circa 1840.
The scale and quality of this impressive tiller indicate that it would have been created for a major yacht of its era, one that would have been about 100 feet in length. The ‘Sunday’ tiller of America (see pages 104-107), which is in the lobby of the New York Yacht Club, is 96 inches long and the tiller from the 1895 America’s Cup Challenger Valkyrie III tiller is 148 inches and hangs in the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, Ireland. A ‘Sunday’ tiller is a finely crafted decorative, but also functional, tiller used on high days and holidays. There would have been a different tiller for racing and transatlantic crossings.
Contact Charlie here: wickantiques.co.uk/product/a-...
#nautical antiques for sale #nautical items for home #maritime antiques roadshow #Maritime antiques #facts about queen victoria #victorian era #queen victoria documentary #british empire history #Ships tiller #boat #Ships tillers #Queen victoria #British history #History #david harper

[@VintageCarHistory]

Charlie will never steer you wrong.

[@stephanieknuppel7428]

Gorgeous piece of History agin , and craftsmanship, well done !

[@OriginalNethead]

That thing is a beast! I wouldn't want to think about carving it, or displaying it. You'd need a stone wall to hang it on, or a custom display stand. If you're spending 22,000 on the tiller, spending 5000 on a custom stand would make sense.

[@blue47er]

Ah, time for a reminiscence: When we lived in Manchester, a couple moved in next door. When we first met the lady, I asked her name, to which she replied, "Helm". So, naturally, (and because she was very slim and attractive, I said, "Ah, then you must be a Tiller girl." She was not amused.