Nautical antiques are objects associated with ships, the sea and seafaring life, collected for their history, craftsmanship and evocative character. The category includes navigational instruments, ship's bells, lanterns, wheels, portholes and binnacles, diving helmets, telescopes, model ships, maritime paintings and prints, sea chests, sailors' woolwork and scrimshaw.
Britain's long naval and mercantile history means that nautical antiques are particularly plentiful and varied in this country, ranging from Georgian brass sextants and chronometers to fittings salvaged from twentieth-century ships broken up at British yards. Folk art produced by sailors on long voyages, such as woolwork pictures of ships, knotwork and carved or engraved bone, adds a personal dimension. Collectors look for pieces with clear provenance, identified ships or makers, original finishes and honest wear, and they are wary of the many reproduction brass instruments and fittings made for the decorative market. Items that combine historical interest with practical use, such as ship's lanterns converted for electric lighting or sea chests used as storage, are especially popular. Nautical antiques suit seaside homes, studies, bars and boat houses, and a carefully chosen piece can bring a hint of adventure to any interior.
