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The barque, IONIA, was built at Duxbury, Massachusetts in 1847. She was 296 tons. The vessel hailed from Salem during the 1850s and early 1860s, and she was a West African trader. She was sold to whaling interests in New Bedford in 1866. The painting was a |
| commission for a gentleman whose ancestor commanded the vessel. The client wanted the vessel depicted at sea on her way to the Gold Coast with a fresh breeze and all in good order. |
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