Argonaut Carved Mahogany Yacht Plaque
English: c. 1940s
English: c. 1940s
Argonaut British Navy Ship Badge
English: c. 1941-1946
15 inches high, 11.5 inches diameter, 1 inch thick
$975
A carved circular wooden ship badge associated with the British Royal Navy battleship Dido Class Light Cruiser, the HMS Argonaut. A circular rope-form border encloses a stylized image of Jason, hero of an ancient Greek legend, holding a shield and the golden fleece aboard his ship the Argo. The crown-form pediment is decorated with profiles and front view of the ship hulls. The bold carving, especially in the ocean waves, has a geometrical Art Deco style, consistent with the dates of the ship.
Ships of the British Royal Navy and other navies of the Commonwealth followed a tradition of having heraldic shields, or badges, associated with them. The badges typically are in a circle or horse-shoe shape surrounded by gold rope, enclosing a pictorial logo and name of the boat, surmounted by a naval crown. They are typically carved of wood or are cast in relief in mixed metal or bronze and set on a wooden shield plaque. Some are painted in one or more colors. They were used to decorate the ship, though some were also made for commemorative purposes, or as presentations or souvenirs.
There have been four Royal Navy ships between 1782 and 1993 known as the HMS Argonaut. This badge pertains to the third Argonaut, launched in 1941 during World War II and decommissioned in 1946. During the war, the ship served in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Aegean, Southeast Asia and, from early 1945, with the British Pacific Fleet in Australia.
Condition: Generally very good with the usual wear, light chips, shrinkage cracks, abrasions.
References:
"Dido Class WW2." HMS Argonaut Association. 2010. http://www.hmsargonaut.co.uk/wordpress/ships/dido-class-cruiser-1942-1946/ (17 November 2011).
"HMS Argonaut WW2 Cruiser." HMS Argonaut Association. 2010. http://www.hmsargonaut.co.uk/wordpress/gallery/hms-argonaut-ww2-cruiser/ (17 November 2011).