Ships, Folk Art, and Whimsey in Bottles

This 4 masted ship in a bottle was made in the late 1800s or early 1900s. The ship is very well-made and the masts and spars are is nice proportion to the hull of the ship. The hull is a dark grey and there is railing in both the bow and stern of the ship. There are two large cabins on deck with a lifeboat mounted upside down on the cabin toward the bow of the ship. A dark blue flag with a white square in the center flies from the fore mast. A blue flag with a white square in center is called the "Blue Peter" and is the code of the departure flag indicating that the vessel is about to sail. There is a second flag atop the mizzen mast. It is blue and white with a shield or box in the center but the origin is unknown. The bottle is sealed with a cork. It is attached to a wooden support that is also mounted on a wood plinth.