During our last trip to Mauritius, we were able to visit the factory where they hand-craft model ships. Each person in the factory has their task to piece together the small pieces that form the model that customers can take home. These masterpieces are put on show at The Comajora for us to to admire:
The craftsmanship is beautiful and we could not resist taking one of these pieces home with us. We now have a model of the Saint Geran sitting on our mantle, reminding us of our visit to the island and to the factory.
If you are interested in seeing how this masterpiece was made, take a look at the pictures I took during our visit to the factory.
Do you have any masterpieces in your home?
(This post was inspired by the Weekly Photo Challenge at WordPress)
Colline's Blog 
you made me smile with “we could not resist taking one of these pieces home with us. We now have a model of the Saint Geran sitting on our mantle…” = bravo!
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The ships were so beautiful (unfortunately they only allowed me to take one picture). We chose a medium-sized one to take with us and it was not easy making sure it would not get damaged on the plane. But it was worth it as I can admire it every day now 🙂
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Amazed you could get that home intact. Such detail.
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They wrapped it really well. And then my husband looked after it like a new-born baby 🙂
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I’m picturing your ship now in a pink receiving blanket. If it looks like a baby and is handled like a baby, who’s to know? Maybe others will walk carefully past. And, you could just say, “shhh the baby’s sleeping.” so no one will want to take a peek!
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That would have been brilliant! Instead it was wrapped in plastic and foam. Wish I had taken a picture!
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That is a masterpiece, Colline! Amazing details!
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It was amazing as well to watch the people in the factory put these little pieces together – a machine would not be able to put these intricate pieces together.
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I remember when you first wrote about this. It is a very beautiful masterpiece.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
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Thank you Francine. It was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the prompt (maybe because I see the ship everyday 🙂 )
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It takes a lot of patience what a work of art 🙂 I wouldn’t mind having a real one 😀
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Can you imagine the trips you could take in a boat like this? Being on the boat would be an adventure in itself 🙂
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😀 True 🙂
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Great shots and entry for the challenge Colline. What a beautiful masterpiece indeed! 😀 *hugs*
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Thank you Sonel. We love that we have this one in our home 🙂
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I love that they would only let you take one photo. Perhaps they think you’re going to go home and go into competition with them? Photography rules can drive me crazy sometimes! Lovely ship you have there!
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They let me take one only because my husband knows the woman running the place from his childhood. I think they are scared of competition as they are the best model ship factory in Mauritius.
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Surprised they would let you buy one. I imagine it is easier to copy if you have more details than can be seen in a picture. 🙂
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She was okay with me taking the photo I took. I think she would have protested had I wanted to take one that was a close-up.
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Beautiful and so filigree work of art!
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It is for this reason we could not resist taking one home with us 🙂
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It’s rare to see such intricate craftsmanship today. It’s amazing that they still make them.
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You are so right. This is what makes it so special. A few weeks later we saw ship models that were made in the factory and the detailed work was not there.
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It’s a great ship, Colline. Nice to be able to look at it every day. 🙂
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I love it. It is in our living area so I can enjoy it whenever I sit on the sofa 🙂
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How cool!! I’d love to have one of these. We do have some masterpieces–both paintings and sculptures.
janet
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Surrounding yourself with beautiful masterpieces does, I think, add a little something to your spirit. I know that, for myself, it makes me happy to look at them.
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You’re right. When we get too accustomed to them, it’s time to move them or switch them for other pieces until the freshness comes back.
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That’s really masterpiece. Similar crafts are imported from other countries.
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This one is doubly special to us because not only does it remind us of our holiday, but also because we saw them in the process of making the bigger model in the factory.
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That is a beautiful and perfect souvenir of the many joys and adventures you had in Mauritius. Love the craftmanship. Thanks for the recent visit. Have a great weekend.
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The best was that I had these adventures with my family 🙂
Have a good weekend with your family too.
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That is absolutely fantastic , looking at the pics of the people each producing the ships with their individual tasks is a real credit to their workmanship, you cannot leave the factory without taking one of their ships home, well I couldn,t.
Great post.
Ian
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We definitely couldn’t. And then the task of choosing which model! There were so many beautiful ships in the showroom.
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These are quite amazing, Colline.
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I wish I could take close-ups then you could see the amazing detail on the ship. The people who put these together have very nimble fingers.
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Your ship is wonderful. Did you see Frizztext’s ship in the water with light on the sails? Both masterpieces.
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Oh yes I did. I loved his ship 🙂
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I am studying the real thing in Duluth harbor this weekend, thanks for sharing MJ
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That is interesting. Will you be doing a post on it?
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You very lucky girl, to have one of these hand crafted masterpieces! I would of been a nervous wreck till we got home♥
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My husband was. He said he would never do something like that again 🙂
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The post, ‘Visit to a Factory’ was one of my favorite of your travel posts. It made me want to sit down with the crafters and help out!
Beautifully crafted ship, Colline. I would have bought one, too. Perfect for a den full of bookshelves and books and a framed copy of a map from by-gone eras on the wall above an antique desk!
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You have described a perfect environment for the model ship. Alas, it does not live in such surroundings yet. I am looking for a cabinet, though, to put it in so that it does not get so dusty.
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What a perfect entry, Colline. And such lovely, lovely work. I love ships — and I love the ocean and rivers — even though I can’t swim.
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The water is so calming, isn’t it, when you look at it. When I look at ships from long ago, I can imagine them riding the waves of the oceans.
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They are incredible Colline, I have seen people making them, they look like they require a lot of patience.
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I think they do. And to think that the workers in the factory do this every day.
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