Ship model of a Chinese junk (Zhenjiang) - cargo junk
Beschreibung
Ship model of a cargo junk. Capacity of 210 tons. According to the writing on the pennant at the front mast, the craft belonged to ‘the inspector responsible for the transportation of salt in the province between the Yellow River and river Yangzi, i.e. Anhui and Jiangsu’. The character on the flags at the upper yard of the mainmast indicates that a high official is in command. The character on the swim head means ‘luck’. Salt being a government monopoly, the production and transit of this commodity were conducted in a manner which admitted a strict official supervision, while salt smugglers were, when caught, visited with the most stringent punishment. Salt for distribution in de Yangzi / Chang Jiang valley was produced on the sea board below Shanghai and carried upstream in vessels, which were specially built with a view to strength, to enable them to withstand the rough weather which is often met with on the lower reaches of the said river.
Model built of three planks and transverse beams. Slightly curved bottom, fore merging in a stretched, slightly curved swim head. Stern with high, rising, steep swim head. Angular bilge, bulging side with one heavy and one light convex wale. Strong sheer, rising fore, but even more so aft. Gangway alongside full length of the hull. On the bow plank heavy bitts. Fore cuddy board with hatches. Porch with raised, longitudinally arched roof. Behind cabin raised wheelhouse. Gangway with transverse cleats along the wheelhouse. Top of stern half closed by clinker-built bulkhead. Fake transom below. Balanced rudder. Foremast on fore cuddy board and mainmast on top of the cabin roof, both masts rigged with yellowish cotton cloth sail. Flagstaff with large rectangular flag, with six Chinese characters. Red cotton cloth pennants at the pole. Swim head with relieved Chinese character painted with red. On the stern swim head, relieved floral and foliated patterns, painted red and green. Open-worked lattice work at the entrance of the porch and side wall of the cabin. Cheeks of tabernacle open-worked with scrolls. On the upper yard of the mainmast, a separate cleat decorated with fretwork with six holes for transverse and horizontal flag poles, three of which carrying a triangular, red cotton cloth streamer with Chinese character.
