Exceptional fine and large mahogany “Sunday” or exhibition tiller with “Ram’s Head” grip English circa 1880. The tiller’s carving quality and design is at the highest level and is amongst the finest yacht tillers in the world. The tiller is carved from a single and massive block of mahogany and has a typical but gentle “s” curved shape. The end of the tiller features a wonderfully carved ram’s head with fine detail and charm. Below the head the tiller shaft is rounded and covered with a brass collar which was probably used to grip the tiller for steering. At the end of the brass is a raised carved “Turks Head” transitional narrow section, followed by a long round carved section which has a carved multi- stranded rope carved section which is narrow at the front as widens as it moves towards the end. The final section of the tiller is rectangular with a finely carved panels on the sides and top. The end of the tiller is shaped so it would fit in firmly into the yacht’s rudder. At the front of the final section is a bronze eye with a through bolt going through the tiller and is threaded into a bolt at the bottom of the tiller. (FA-1093)
Condition: The tiller is in excellent condtion and shows no ware or defects. It has and old and possibly original finish.
Note: this "Ram's Head" tiller given its size and quality would have been created for a major yacht of its era that was about 100 feet in length.
Note: The "Sunday Tiller" of Yact America which is at the loby in the NYYC is 96" in length. The tiller from the 1895 America's Cup Challenger the yacht "Valkyrie III" tiller has a length of 148" and hangs at the Royal Ulster Yacht Club in Ireland.
Dimensions: Length 105 1/2 (8'9 1/2"), Width 4 3/4, Height 7 1/4, Inches