Chinese puzzle

[chris caretteParticipant @chriscarette17287]

I just acquired this junk and it came in a box with various bits. Most of them are self explanatory but some bit are more difficult to identify. I wonder in anybody could help me identifying those bits or possibly assure me they do not belong to this boat (a cap for a suzuki motorcycle tank was definitely there by mistake!)

1st a general view of what I think might be a Foochow pole junk

2nd a view from the back where you can see a break of the top piece (I do not have the broken bit so not sure how far back it should go)

3rd a view from the top

and finally the bits I am not sure of.

The 3 cannons ? are made of wood

The 2 broken bits do not fit each other unless a middle piece is missing.

The 3 pieces with hole puzzles me most as I have looked at several similar boats and cannot identify where this could fit unless they are a different type of railing for the bridge behind the rudder.

it also came with a small boat and I am not sure where it should be attached.

The same applies to a lifebuoy.

Thanks to anyone who might be able to help

Chris

[chris caretteParticipant @chriscarette17287]

Trying to rebuild a chinese junk

[nick destcroixParticipant @nickdestcroix18633]

Chris, I have a similar but more detailed model of a foochow pole junk. it was brought back from china by my grandfather who was posted there in the 1930's by the royal navy.

It was known wrongly within my family as a ningpo fishing junk. When I researched its origins I came across the story of the "Ningpo", a foochow pole junk and an infamous pirate ship. Its keel was laid before the Victory and was still afloat until it was accidentaly burnt to the waterline off Catalina island during the making of the film "Old Ironsides" I believe. At that time it was probably the oldest sailing vessel afloat. For the full story look up a PDF called an obsessed mariners notes on the Ningpo by Hans Van Tiburg.

Your models 2 incomplete guns are identical to mine which have turned wooden bases, the Ningpo was known to carry 2 ancient guns but of a much older type than our models suggest. For this reason I choose to think that my model may specifically be of the Ningpo, yours may be the same.

Nick de St. Croix

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