A RARE BUILDER'S MODEL FOR THE SEA-GOING HOPPER DREDGER VENEZIA BUILT BY A.F. SMULDERS, ROTTERDAM FOR THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT, 1909
with carved and laminated hull with bilge keels, port holes, silvered propellers and A-brackets with twin rudders flanking bucket ramp, the hull with detailed fittings including awning stanchions, bitts, studded anchor chain, wooden companionway housing, silvered and grey-painted dredging components, open bridge with telegraphs and steering motor, engine room lights, twin stayed funnels with markings, two fitted lifeboats in davits and other details, mounted on silvered columns within original glazed mahogany display base, complete with four dual language builder's plates in French, Italian and English and mounted on original stand. Measurements including stand -- 61¼ x 29 x 65½in. (155.5 x 74 x 166.5cm.)

Fitted with suction and pressure-discharge systems, the Venezia was capable of displacing 700 tons per hour using buckets, or 1000 tons per hour with the suction pipe. She was 65.5 meters long with a breath of 10.5 meters and was able to steam at 8 knots when fully loaded to a depth of 4.4 meters.
This lot will be available for viewing at Imperial Road.

Some craquelure to painted top sides of hull, loose wire rigging, one funnel displaced, Italian flag parted at stern.