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Bottle 544 - Walfischjagd "Whale Hunt"
Date Added: 05 January 2008

This is a wonderful diorama of a whaling scene in the Artic waters. This folk art depiction bottle contains a whaling ship in icy waters with icebergs and glaciers depicted. The ship has two masts and there is an American flag flying from atop of the mizzenmast. The hull is red on the bottom and the rest is painted gray. The rigging is nicely done with standing and running rigging. The masts have both shrouds and ratlines. The ships cabin is very large and is painted white with black trim and portholes. A large red and white smokestack is on top of the cabin with white smoke billowing out. There are whaling boats hanging from davits; one on each side of the cabin. In the bow of the ship, a sailor is manning a harpoon gun. He has just fired the harpoon and it is imbedded in the back of a whale with the harpoon rope leading from the gun to the whale. Another sailor is beginning to climb the shrouds on the mainmast. A third sailor is pulling on the rigging lines in the stern of the ship. Along side the ship in the water are two captured whales. They are shown bleeding from the harpoons and the water and ice are beginning to turn red from their blood. Both whales are blowing water from their blowhole. Near the whales is a whaling boat with two sailors rowing toward the rear whale. On the backside of the bottle are tow large raised glaciers; one toward the front of the bottle and one in the bottom area. On the glacier at the neck side of the bottle are two sailors with their whaling boat pulled up on the ice. On the glacier in the bottom area of the bottle are two sailors trying to kill a polar bear. Both sailors have a long pole in their hand and they are trying to both spear and beat a large polar bear. The men and the polar bear are wonderfully carved in a very folksy way. All of the sailors are nicely wearing dark blue uniforms. The size of the sailors is exaggerated for the scene but this just draws interest and charm to the diorama. The bottle is sealed with a cork wrapped in aluminum foil and extending from the foil inside the bottle is a long piece of paper with the German word "Walfischjagd" written on it. The English translation is "Whale Hunt."
Type: Whaling Ship and Scene   Maker's Name:
Category: Figures   Made Where:
Bottle Size: 11 3/4" x 4"   Year Made: 1900 - 1930
Bottle Type: Berlin - George Broche  


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