Anchor buoy

George Stebbing (mentioned on object), c. 1820 - c. 1840

An anchor buoy was floated on the water’s surface to prevent other ships from sailing over the anchor chain of a moored ship. It also marked the location of the anchor and allowed it to be recovered if the cable broke or had to be cut. This anchor buoy, designed by the Englishman George Stebbing, was lighter and had a longer life than those previously used.

  • Artwork typeanchor buoy
  • Object numberNG-MC-639
  • Dimensionslength 100 cm (without rope) x diameter 48 cm x weight 17.2 kg
  • Physical characteristicscopper, brass, rope and paint

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Can Hook

George Stebbing (mentioned on object), in or before 1825

Can Hook

Can Hook

George Stebbing (mentioned on object), in or before 1825

Can Hook

Rope and hook from Anchor Buoy

George Stebbing (mentioned on object), c. 1820 - c. 1840

Rope and hook from Anchor Buoy

George Stebbing

Anchor Buoy

Portsmouth, c. 1820 - c. 1840

Inscriptions

  • inscription, top, stamped:GEo STEBBING / PORTSMOUTH

Conservation

  • Ab Hoving, maart 2008: retouched

Provenance

…; Ministerie van Marine (Department of the Navy), The Hague, 1825;1J.C. Rijk, Generaal Rapport Z.M. Pallas, 1825, manuscript with 6 appendices in HSM, inv. no. NII (03144). transferred to the museum, 1883

Object number: NG-MC-639

Entry

Copper anchor buoy consisting of two cones joined at the base, painted black. It has an eye at both ends. To one of the eyes, a swivel with a piece of rope has been attached.

George Stebbing (1775-1847) designed these anchor buoys to be lighter and tougher than the wooden ones.2J.M. Obreen, Catalogus der verzameling modellen van het Departement van Marine, The Hague 1858, no. 639. This is probably the buoy purchased by Julius Constantijn Rijk (1787-1854) in Portsmouth in 1825 during his voyage in the 28-gun sloop of war Pallas to the United Kingdom and the United States.3J.C. Rijk, Generaal Rapport Z.M. Pallas, s.l. 1825, manuscript with 6 appendices in HSM, inv. no. NII (03144).

Literature

J.C. Rijk, Generaal Rapport Z.M. Pallas, s.l. 1825, manuscript with 6 appendices in HSM, inv. no. NII (03144); J.M. Obreen, Catalogus der verzameling modellen van het Departement van Marine, The Hague 1858, no. 639; A.A. Lemmers, Techniek op schaal. Modellen en het technologiebeleid van de Marine 1725-1885, Amsterdam 1996, p. 211

Citation

J. van der Vliet, 2016, 'George Stebbing, Anchor Buoy, Portsmouth, c. 1820 - c. 1840', in J. van der Vliet and A. Lemmers (eds.), Navy Models in the Rijksmuseum, online coll. cat. Amsterdam: https://data.rijksmuseum.nl/200315846

(accessed 10 December 2025 18:44:16).

Footnotes

  • 1J.C. Rijk, Generaal Rapport Z.M. Pallas, 1825, manuscript with 6 appendices in HSM, inv. no. NII (03144).
  • 2J.M. Obreen, Catalogus der verzameling modellen van het Departement van Marine, The Hague 1858, no. 639.
  • 3J.C. Rijk, Generaal Rapport Z.M. Pallas, s.l. 1825, manuscript with 6 appendices in HSM, inv. no. NII (03144).