Scale: 1:48. A contemporary full hull block model of the ‘Centurion’ (1732), a 60-gun two-decker ship of the line, painted to look like the Navy Board style. This model is quite rare since it has the ‘open frames’ below the waterline painted onto a solid hull. In most cases of this style of model, these solid blocks were normally painted white below the waterline. These models were a quick and robust way of producing a three-dimensional hull form, which could then be sent by the Master Shipwrights of the various yards to accompany their drawings to London for discussion by the Navy Board. Although these models are not as elaborate as the plank on frame variety, they are still a valuable source of reference in terms of colour scheme, layout of fittings and, in some cases, elaborate decoration.

The ‘Centurion’ was built at Portsmouth Dockyard and measured 145 feet along the gun deck by 40 feet in the beam and was 1005 tons burden. Lord Anson used it for his circumnavigation around the world from 1740-44. It was later reduced to 50 guns in 1746 before being broken up in 1769. It was once thought that this model was made from the wood of the ship’s davit, a large beam mounted on the forecastle for retrieving and stowing the anchors. However this is unlikely to be true as the davits were invariably oak, and the grain of the wood used to make the model is much finer than oak.