Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is one of the most tremendous naval items we have ever offered, a Colonial period ship’s navigational lantern with three different-colored panes of glass, red, yellow, and clear, for use on different parts of the ship. The construction is very crude and evident of the period, completely handmade with the original candle inside, and a heavy layer of wax residue at the bottom from centuries prior.

The lantern measures roughly 11½” tall with a base diameter of 4½”.  The solder spots are very obvious as this was made with the tools available. Many of the punch marks do have holes but many do not, as it wasn’t an exact science. There is heavy oxidation across the tin as is expected, but it has held up tremendously well over the years. One surefire way to date this piece is the bubbling in the glass, very evident of the lengthy glassblowing process during this period.

There is a small hinged door containing the clear glass pane that still opens well and allows for the removal and replacement of the candle. The candle in place now is quite short, and it likely hasn’t been lit for centuries.

This is a tremendous piece of Naval history that comes ready for further research and display. It’s easily one of the coolest Naval items we’ve ever listed, so don’t miss out!