There are some extraordinary model ships out there. To see the detail and care with which they are made can give you a real appreciation for a wonderful nautical tradition. Here are some of the most extraordinary models.
Three Hierarchs, the model 1:72 scale three-masted Russian war ship (in Russian:Tri Sviatitelia) recently attained the honorable distinction as the world's most expensive model ship when it sold for retail at $21,300. This surpassed the model of Ingermanland which sold for $18,500. The Three Hierarchs model was constructed of 11,000 parts. There are 3,400 sheets of copper forming the bilge. It has perfectly braided ropes scales to look just like the real thing in the correct scale. The model is nearly 3-and-a-half feet long, nearly two feet wide and 3-and-a-third feet high.
The Ingermanland model is a scale replica of another Russian three masted war ship, named after the St. Petersburg shipyard from which it was launched in 1715 with 64 guns. The kit model is constructed of laser cut planks, photo-etched brass fittings, cannons, flags, rigging ropes. It is four and a quarter feet long, nearly two feet wide and four feet high.
Probably the largest ship model is the replica of the Battleship U.S.S Iowa which is 18 feet nine inches long and weighs 1,350 pounds. The model is housed in the West Wing of the Iowa State Capitol building. It is on loan from the United States Department of the Navy.
A toy battleship which recently sold at auction in the UK for a record equivalent of $122,600 earned the distinction of being the most expensive toy sold in Britain. The toy, which was a little over two feet long, was dubbed the HMS Terrible. It was manufactured in 1905 by the German toy maker, Marklin. The design was based on the kind of battleship the Royal Navy sailed during the Boer War in 1895.
The Marine Model Gallery of Gloucester, Massachusetts contains some notable ship models. The gallery celebrates the recognition of model ship builders as professional artists. The models in the gallery depict New Bedford nautical life including area yachts, American whaling ships, vintage half-hulls, and craft from the arctic. The exhibits highlight the artistic nature of ship model building.
One of the oldest and most celebrated medieval ship models in Western culture is the four foot long, two foot wide Mataro which is housed in the Matritime museum in Rotterdam, Holland. The Mataro comes from the tradition common in the 15th century of decorating the chapels of seafaring cities with Ex votos, or model ships, as shrines, asking for blessings on oceanic voyages.
Model Ships are a centuries old art, and part of the growth of modern Western civilization. We know about this passion. Please contact us.