Hyland Granby Antiques

Block House Model - Price Upon Request

Exceptionally rare and highly documented prisoner-of-war model of the block house at the Norman Cross prison at Huntingdonshire, England, circa 1800.  The base of the model is eight sided.  The outside edge of the base has applied fancy carved bone decorations.  The top surface of the base has triangular marquetry inlays.  There is a red and black painted guard station.  To the right of the guard station is a carved and painted bone soldier in uniform holding a plaque in his outstretched arms standing in front of the doorway to the block house.  The interior floor of the block-house has small square shaped marquetry flooring.  The inside of the first floor of the blockhouse has an interior partition with some bone detail with a staircase leading to the second floor.  There is a rectangular window at the center of each exterior surface.  Mounted to the base of each of these eight openings are beautifully turned bone swivel cannons.  There are several other rectangular and square openings at the various levels of the block house.  The roof has a steep pitch and has alternating light and dark woods going from the base to the peak.  At each of the roof ridges is an applied bone strip.  At the peak of the roof is a carved chimney.   The model retains its original bone feet.     (MI-700)
Condition:  The model is wonderfully preserved and has a wonderful age patina.  
Reference 1:  "The Lloyd Collection of Napoleonic Prisoner of War Artifacts", Kennebunkport Maritime Museum, Maine.  An almost identical model to the one described above is illustrated and described as item "86".  
Reference 2:  Walker, Thomas James, "The Depot for Prisoners of War at Norman Cross Huntingdonshire 1796 to 1816", London:  Constable & Company, 1913, pp. Plate I, Plate III (p. 22).  Plate I shows a period drawing by Captain George Lloyd showing the blockhouse in the prison yard.  
Dimensions of model:  Length 10 1/2 inches; Width 10 1/2 inches; Height 13 3/4 inches.