Carved Cherubs

[markcaroe]

I should be grateful for any help in identifying the original location of the cherubs in the following photographs. I believe they came from the Britannic but so far have been unsuccessful in finding any relevant photographs. It looks like the formed to top section of a panel.

Many thanks

Mark

 

[markcaroe]

Any thoughts would be great!

 

[Jason D. Tiller]

Hello,

I'll have a go at this and do my best to answer your question.

I've done a search and have looked over recreation video as to how Britannic's interiors would have appeared, as she had been a passenger liner. Although that is not conclusive evidence, I cannot find any to state these were aboard and I don't know of an existing catalogue for Britannic when some of her furnishings and fittings were sold off, in 1919. However there are people here who are far more knowledgeable than I, when it comes to her interiors.

What makes you believe these were aboard the Britannic?

 

[markcaroe]

Jason

I bought them from the estate of a long term collector who specialised in Royal Navy artefacts (most of which are in the Museum in Portsmouth, it was a huge collection), he was collecting from the late 1940s onwards and had a few non RN items in his collection including the Cherubs, which he had identified as having coming from Britannic (apparently there was another pair that were turned into a bed headboard!!!).

He could be have been wrong and it would be great to hear any other suggestions. I also have a couple of carved panels from the Elizabethan Room on the Aquitania but they are in oak and are quite different.

Many thanks for your reply.

All the best

Mark

 

[Jason D. Tiller]

I bought them from the estate of a long term collector who specialised in Royal Navy artefacts (most of which are in the Museum in Portsmouth, it was a huge collection), he was collecting from the late 1940s onwards and had a few non RN items in his collection including the Cherubs, which he had identified as having coming from Britannic (apparently there was another pair that were turned into a bed headboard!!!).

Okay, that's interesting to know. Now the collector may very well have been correct. But I'm afraid without any provenance or photographic evidence to state that the cherubs were either on board or planned for her, at one point due to Britannic being requisitioned for service as a hospital ship not once but twice, it is really difficult to say.

Perhaps someone more versed on Britannic's interiors will chime in and be able to give you a definite answer.