Exceptional Beauty and Rarity Combined-Rock & Graner

Wednesday, July 30, 2014
      Sunny, clear skies, and cooler

Exceptional Beauty and Rarity Combined

Rock & Graner

     The other day, I revisited the upcoming auction (September 19-20, 2014) of Bertoia Auction. It's an exceptional auction because I have not seen so many toys that I have not seen before. One of the items happened to be a rare Rock & Graner ship. I had written only once before about a Rock & Graner ship, so I went looking for the post., but I couldn't find it. I'm sure I posed, but sometimes I don't add labels to a post, so having to search post-by-post through 830 posts would take forever. I'm stubborn, so I will eventually search and find it! However, I decided to combine the exceptional toy ship from the first post with the exceptional toy ship for the upcoming action.

Please click here to visit this outstanding American Auctioneer

I didn't want to add the loegthy descriptions directly to each of the 2 photos of the ships, 

so I've presented these superbly-written descriptions by themselves.

The first ship below was auctioned by Bertoia Auctions on November 4, 2009

Description

1875, this 134 year old steam driven toy ship was found 15 years ago in South America and authentically restored by Tin Toy Works. Examples of original R & G N ships were used to match the paint. The masts, flag, and lifeboat are replacements, yet care was taken to approximate the original by matching originals and those pictured in an early catalog. The ship stand is original, having been found with the toy. This vessel is pictured on p.162 of "The Allure of Toys Ships" by R.T. Claus. As an added touch, Furst Bismarck comes with a reproduction wooden crate. Rock & Graner toys are extremely rare in any condition, only a handful of their boats have come to auction over the past 20 years, this particular ship may be the only example extant. 28" bow to stern, 33 1/2" overall length.*

* Description courtesy of Bertoia Auctions

Imagine!

This old toy built in 1875 was found in South America and then restored all that time later.

It was also described as  "this particular ship may be the only example extant".

* The word "extant" means:

ex•tant (ˈɛk stənt, ɪkˈstænt) 

adj.

1. still existing; not destroyed or lost: only three extant copies of the document.

2. Archaic. standing out; protruding.

[1535–45; < Latin ex(s)tant-, s. of ex(s)tāns, present participle of exstāre to stand out, exist =ex- ex-¹ + stāre to stand]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. 

Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Courtesy the Free Dictionary.com

This other exceptional Rock & Graner toy ship will be auctioned by 
Bertoia Auctions on September 19020, 2014

Description

Germany, c. 1900, very rare hand painted example with only one other so far reported to exist, detailed deck features observation platform in blue color against a natural wood colored decking and tan and red hull, clockwork driven, lifeboats and single stack with wooden mast on board. This boat came from a family in Europe that guarded it for years and current owner attests to originality. After careful inspection, minor paint enhancements to lifeboats and rudder and prop restoration were observed, mast flaking and appears to have been replaced at one time, some flaking to platform, but the ship is quite original and in exceptional condition! 19" l.*

* Description courtesy of Bertoia Auctions

What I find interesting is the fact  these fine toys (expensive at the time) would have been played with in a local park man-made lake by children of rich parents. The toy could be pulled on its own stand equipped with small wheels until it came time to place it in the lake.

Of course, which I also find interesting is the fact that these toys were man-made and hand-painted- Craftsmanship at its finest of a time long ago!

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be,

Stacey.

toysearcher@gmail.com