“Chinese Ship Amoy” 1920s Pompeian Bronze Antique Bookends
“Chinese Ship Amoy” made circa 1924, most likely by the Pompeian Bronze Company, a pair of vintage electroformed bronze-clad figural book ends, with original polychrome paint (blue, green, white). Rare, not even listed in Kuritzky and De Costa
These bookends depict a Chinese junk with a flag. On the back: "Chinese Ship Amoy". Also on the back, though not quite readable on this particular pair: "(c) 1924 By Helena Clark".
SPECS: Each measures about 5.1" tall by 4" wide by 2.65" deep, the pair weighs in at 3 lbs 3 oz. Nice patina. No breaks or tears in the bronze cladding.
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These bookends are modeled on an actual historical occurrence — the crossing of the Pacific Ocean by the Amoy, a 23 ton Chinese Junk named after the coastal city of Xiamen (known as "Amoy" in English) in southeastern China.
From the Dec 1922 issue of Popular Mechanics: "Rivaling the most daring exploits of history is the feat of Capt. George Waard, world adventurer, who, with his wife, a nine-year-old son, and a crew of three, has completed a 5,300-mile voyage in a frail Chinese junk. He arrived at Victoria, B.C., recently, 91 days from Shanghai. The trip, made in exceptionally rough weather, stuns the imagination."
