This 19th century American solid brass ship steering wheel was, more than likely, from a yacht. Fishing and commercial boats were more inclined to use cast iron and/or wood; the brass adds an element of luxury. It has a fair amount of weight to it, weighing in at 32 pounds, and measures 31″ in diameter with a depth of 2″ at the hub. The wheel is designed with six rounded solid brass spokes with brass “plated on iron” ends protruding from the circular main wheel. A circular threaded hole on a spoke of the wheel would have accommodated a screw-in wooden handle.
The brass wheel is in very good and all original condition with no repairs, maintaining a lovely finish with a warm vintage patina to the surface. The yacht wheel is professionally mounted for vertical display on a custom made museum quality metal stand; beautifully presented with wheel turning capability. The stand weighs 29 pounds and was designed and calculated specifically for this wheel, for support and display presentation.
Yacht wheels were originally mounted on a hub which was connected upright to a rudder, facilitating left to right steering direction by turning the wheel clockwise or counter clockwise.
This wheel was acquired from a prominent maritime collection and would make a wonderful addition to a collection of boats or nautical items, or simply as a stand alone piece of folk art.
Dimensions:
Wheel = 31″ diameter x 2″ deep
height with stand = 32″
depth with stand = 9″