Finely Executed Half-block Model of the J Class Yacht Rainbow

A finely executed half-block model of the J Class yacht Rainbow, the celebrated 1934 America’s Cup defender. The model is laid up in exotic timbers and mounted on an ebonised backboard, the hull form elegantly presented in the traditional half-block manner. The reverse bears an ink inscription and is signed Basil R. Tubbs, with the date stamped 13.8.95, attesting to the quality and authorship of the work. The original Rainbow was built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company and designed by William Starling Burgess. She was commissioned by a syndicate led by Harold S. Vanderbilt and successfully defended the America’s Cup in 1934, securing her place as one of the most important yachts of the J Class era. Provenance: Christie’s, South Kensington, November 1995 Private collection Wick Antiques