Zingara (1855); Passenger/cargo vessel

Scale: 1:24. A contemporary full hull plank on frame model of the merchantman ‘Zingari’ (1855), fully rigged with masts’ spars and sails (now detached and stored separately). This large scale and highly detailed model was once fully rigged with all its sails, including skysails and stunsails, as well as being wired for internal illumination since it is fully fitted out below decks. Together with the presence of scuttles, to give light on the lower deck, it suggests a vessel intended to make fast passages with passengers, but neither the lines nor the proportions on the model are those of a clipper. At this scale, the model represents a vessel measuring 172 feet in length by 36 feet in the beam.

Even though the name appears on the stern, it has not been possible to identify it with an actual ship, but suggestions in the past have ranged from an East Indiaman to a Blackwall Frigate.