The technique of putting ships into bottles developed during the
early years of the 19th century in the forecastles of the old
sailing ships. In an era when sea voyages lasted months and years,
and entertainment was self-evolved, off-watch sailormen occupied
themselves creating bits of nautical folk art from whatever raw
material came to hand. On whaling vessels the most abundant scrap
materials were the teeth and bones of whales and walruses, which
the whalermen fabricated into many familiar items collectively known
as scrimshaw. But other materials such as wood and rope and yarn
were also used, and many interesting and decorative objects were made
from these. It is not surprising then that an empty bottle might
have piqued the imagination of some long-gone salt and led him to
devise the technique for displaying miniature ships in bottles.
Sailors were not unique in their use of bottles to house objects.
Many other isolated souls have turned their efforts to this end, and
significantly there are many old bottles which contain religious
objects. Many also derive from the lumbering business where workers
were often forced to live in the wilderness for extended periods.
Whatever the origin, the technique for putting ships into bottles
was well known to sailormen of all the major seafaring nations.
Evidence of their work can be found in nautical museums throughout
Europe, North America, and Japan. Unfortunately, despite widespread
knowledge of the technique, good early examples of the ship-in-bottle
art have become scarce. Even well-known dealers in maritime art
rarely have them available, and when they do, the price quoted is
well outside what most individuals would be willing to pay. This
is a shame for there are few decorations as evocatively nautical
as a bottled ship.
This web site is dedicated to continuing the craft of bottling
ships by providing a forum for storing and sharing knowledge
and envoking interest in the art of bottling ships.
This history was adapted from Ships-In-Bottles: A step-by-step
guide to a venerable nautical craft by Don Hubbard. Many thanks
to Don.
|