Model Maori war canoe to make $34,000 at Christie's on June 24?

A model Maori war canoe will lead the sale of the Claude Truth collection of ship models at Christie's Paris on June 24.

Valued at $27,248-34,060, the lot measures just under 2½m long and dates to the mid 1800s.

Waka canoe Christie's
Traditional Waka canoes can measure up to 40m in length

Full size canoes (or Waka) can measure up to 40m long and carry around 80 people. They were traditionally made from wood from the Totara tree, with construction taking a full year.

The model features intricate hand carving and lace wood decoration comprising traditional symbols and iconography - including a tiki figure.

A model of a French Ocean-class ship of the line built by a prisoner of war between 1794 and 1815 is valued at $20,436-34,060.

The extraordinarily well made vessel features 120 guns and includes a cut-away section at the bottom displaying its internal construction.

The Ocean-class was first introduced in 1788 and were the most powerful ships of their era, outgunning all the other colonial powers.

Due to their size and prohibitive cost only 10 were built during the Napoleonic period.

A model of Le Glorieux, an 84-gun ship launched in 1812, is estimated to make $20,436-27,248.

We have this collection of historical artefacts from the Battle of Trafalgar available.

Follow the link to our free newsletter to get our delivered straight to your inbox.

Featured products

Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Sale price£399
In stock
Fidel Castro signed certificateFidel Castro Signed Certificate
Fidel Castro signed certificate
Sale price£2,995
In stock
King Henry VIII Autographed DocumentKing Henry VIII Autographed Document
King Henry VIII Autographed Document
Sale price£55,000
In stock