HMS Pegasus Christening Font & Stand

This is a totally unique and one-off item with the font being made from a seaplane spinner. Pegasus was a seaplane carrier of 3070 tons, launched in 1917 and sold out of service in 1931. She carried a complement of 9 aircraft. Almost certainly made on board, the stand appears to be varnished mahogany with the central spinner in aluminium. A plaque is riveted to the front which carries the Pegasus crest with the engraving "Font made from the nose piece of a seaplane for the christening of Michael Phipps on board HMS Pegasus 13th July, 1918 and presented to Mrs. Phipps by the officers after the ceremony". It is a Royal Navy tradition to occasionally baptise children of serving crew within the upturned bell in which case the child's name was engraved inside. We have never previously heard of an aircraft nose piece being used for this purpose but it provides the ideal receptacle. We assume young Master Phipps (who today would be 90 years old! was the son of a crew member at the end of WWI. The font is in excellent original condition with some ageing to the varnish. We have had this in our own collection for some time and it makes an excellent plant stand with a Christmas Poinsettia! Stands 36" (92 cm) high and diameter at top 16" (40 cm).