Götheborg — Swedish East Indiaman Model, Large Painted | Admiral Line

A Swedish East Indiaman in full painted livery — the deep hull, high stern and heavy ornament of a ship built to carry tea, porcelain and silk home from Canton.

Built plank on frame in western red cedar, rosewood and mahogany, hand-painted, and delivered fully assembled at large scale.

Construction

• Plank-on-frame hull, hand-painted with carved and gilded stern gallery
• Three masts with complete hand-knotted rigging
• Hand-stitched linen sails on every yard
• Rows of gun ports, cast cannon, ship's boats and deck fittings
• Metal anchors and wooden rudder
• Solid wood base and engraved brass nameplate

History

The original Götheborg made three voyages to China for the Swedish East India Company before running aground on 12 September 1745 — within sight of Gothenburg harbour, at the end of her final return leg, in clear weather with a pilot aboard. Nobody drowned. A third of the cargo was salvaged and still turned a profit. Divers recovered tons of Chinese porcelain from the wreck in the 1980s, and a full-size sailing replica was launched in 2003.