A 1:64 scale builder’s model (Swan Hunter) of the 1906-built liner Mauretania, which measured 4m in length. It was carved from laminated wood, with gilt and painted fittings and finished in Cunard livery. It is thought that this model probably appeared in a pre-War exhibition about the famed ‘Blue Riband’, and had been on loan to the Science Museum since 1938, who later decided to sell it. This highly prized item sold for £167,400, a world record amount for a builder’s model.
Charles Miller Ltd is the United Kingdom’s only specialist auction house dedicated to the sale of marine, maritime, nautical and scientific antiques. The company normally holds public auctions at premises in West Kensington twice a year, as well as timed onlineonly ‘Liner China’ sales, and offer a full valuation service. The items that are auctioned include fine marine art, scientific instruments, ship models, nautical antiques, maritime collectibles and navigational instruments.