Ships in a bottle

The art of designing ships in bottles was developed during the early 19th century when ocean voyages lasted for months and even years. Using whatever raw materials the crew members could scavenge, they developed their skills. Today, these fine ships in bottles offer tribute to the artisans of the age of the great sails.

If you are up for a challenge, you can build your own authentic ship-in-a-bottle with these miniature replica kits. Start a collection and build all of them! These beginner level kits provide family fun for ages 12 and up.

Or if you simply want to decorate the house with our hand-made ships-in-bottles, we have several designs for you to choose from. Please click on product name or image to view product details.

Learn more about Ship in a Bottle in our Nautical Article Gallery.

All About The Ship In A Bottle

The art of model ship building dates back many centuries. The Egyptians, Phoenicians and Greeks all built model ships of varying sizes and shapes. Glass bottles have also been around for a long time. Archeology indicates the Phoenicians had glass bottles, so they have also been around for thousands of years, also. It wasn't until the mid-1850's that glass technology advanced enough to give a reasonably clear, bubble free bottle suitable for model building. Sailors at sea whiled away the long hours carving and making many things and a high degree of skill was developed by many of these mariners. No one knows who first put a model ship in a bottle, but it occurred sometime during the mid 19th century.  Read the rest of the article....