The "RUTH"

Photo by Gavin Ashworth

Let us go on a journey!   And introduce some adventure into our lives! This old seafaring vessel is a nice example of folk art…perhaps a toy made by a doting father for his daughter?    Not a son named Ruth, of course!!!   Bon Voyage!

We found this handmade ship with my name on the bow in an antique shop in Norfolk, Virginia. At that time we lived close to the Atlantic ocean in a great a la Frank Lloyd Wright contemporary house and collected decorative  nautical items.  This ship sat on an early cherry pie safe flanked by a shell box and a large Florida horse conch.. 

The ship was  made around 1900, perhaps a bit earlier, perhaps a bit later?  The red and green colors we especially love.  Please excuse the dust collected on the masts!

The masts are hand whittled, and the sails are in awful shape, but who needs to collect something perfect?    My heart tends to want to “mother” many items in our home, and this is one of them. 

Since we moved from the beach and into a circa 1905  house in Richmond, the ship now rests on the fireplace mantel in my husband’s room.  He has a collection of seascapes, oil on canvas. One of the seascapes came from my great grandfather’s home…the artist is F. Weber, an American c. 1900.    My husband’s  favorite maritime painting is an oil portrait of  “Sailor Thompson.”  The dealer from North Carolina who sold it to me, tells me it was found at an estate sale in Nantucket.  Our Mr. Thompson was a real life person and is now happy in a room filled with nostalgia of the sea.  He sure is a handsome fellow!!!