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All the United States California Oxnard Prisoner of War Bone Model Ships

Prisoner of War Bone Model Ships

French prisoners carved these boats from the bones of their meat rations.

Oxnard, California

Added By
Matthew Taub
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These tiny models can include dozens of cannons on a single side.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
These tiny models can include dozens of cannons on a single side.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
A detailed figurehead, possibly the ship’s captain, keeps watch.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
The models are no less imposing for their diminutive stature and modest materials.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
The collection on proud display.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
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About

Seized from their posts, French prisoners of war in the 18th and 19th centuries were left to build themselves new ships. But these were tiny model vessels, carved in exquisite detail from bone.

Receiving daily rations of half a pound of meat from their British captors, the Frenchmen would whittle the leftover bones into recreations of the ships they had manned themselves during the Napoleonic Wars. These models pack stunning complexity into, typically, just 30 to 40 inches (and sometimes less).

The hulls seem almost to breathe, gracefully curving outward as they approach the decks. Dozens of cannons poke neatly out of a single side, not wedged into their individual ports but held in place by an invisible mechanism. Bowsprits project forward at a noble angle, tapered masts stand straight and tall, and full-bodied figureheads even sit on rigging made from human hair, their minuscule fingers curled around swords and their button faces chiseled into distinct features.

All this, of course, was done from memory. While many of the models are painted, some of them remain bone white, the only indication of their humble origin.

Because prisoners of war had not technically defied British law, and their sentences were contingent on the course of the conflict, they were often treated with more lenience and respect than criminal offenders. Some of them converted their sentences into business opportunities, selling their ship models to the general public and leaving prison with substantial fortunes. Today, one of these ships can fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auction—so take out last night's leftovers and get to work.

If you can’t figure out how to build your own miniature boat from bone, you can head to the Channel Islands Maritime Museum in Oxnard, California. The museum has nine of the ships on display, forming the second largest collection in the United States.

Related Tags

Ships Prisons Napoleon Bonaparte France Britain War History Art Auctions Meat Bones Hair Military

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Added By

matthewtaub

Published

July 23, 2018

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Sources
  • http://www.cimmvc.org/models/
  • http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15617/lot/364/
Prisoner of War Bone Model Ships
3900 Bluefin Circle
Oxnard, California
United States
34.165082, -119.226333
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Nearby Places

La Jenelle Park

Oxnard, California

miles away

Pleasant Valley Historic Cemetery and Japanese historic Cemetery

Oxnard, California

miles away

Point Mugu Missile Park

Port Hueneme, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Oxnard

Oxnard

California

Places 3

Nearby Places

La Jenelle Park

Oxnard, California

miles away

Pleasant Valley Historic Cemetery and Japanese historic Cemetery

Oxnard, California

miles away

Point Mugu Missile Park

Port Hueneme, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Oxnard

Oxnard

California

Places 3

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