How ships are made in a bottle and what do sea knots have to do with it. We understand art that is more than 500 years old

I am sure that each of you at least once in your life saw a ship in a bottle and one hundred percent wondered –How did he even end up there?“.

The most common theory of distribution is that the bottle is poured to the bottom and then sealed so that traces of the regime remain invisible. However, this is a myth.

Everything is much simpler and more interesting

A brief history of the origins of bottle shipbuilding

No, transporting ships into a bottle is not like that.

According to Lev Aleshin, the most famous ship modeler in our country, this art is already five hundred years oldand it originated in the era of great territories of discovery. In those days, sailing ships could remain without wind for weeks, and, to illustrate the long hours of boredom, sailors created model ships by artfully placing them in empty bottles. Fortunately, you could always find an empty bottle on drifting ships.

Today, building ships in bottles is a popular hobby all over the world. Amateurs unite in several associations, the largest of which are in America.American Bottled Ships Association” and European “European Bottle Ship Association” Membership in labor associations for citizens of any country.

One of the most famous craftsmen in the world is Harry Eng, who became famous not only for his ships, but also for other recognized creations. He was a schoolteacher by profession and created between 600 and 700 different bottles containing a wide variety of objects: golf balls, padlocks, baseballs and books.

There are no photos of Eng online, but here is an example of his work on a table.

One of Eng’s most striking features was his ability to tie knots inside each bottle. Most of these knots were so heavy that they could not be carried through the neck of the bottle.

Unfortunately, most of his secrets went with him.

The whole secret is in the threads. Positi

The essence of the method is obvious.

The process of placing a ship in a bottle requires a lot of change and patience. However, despite all the complexity, the basis of this task is a simple principle.

Of course, the complexity of the project can be considered depending on the size of the bottle and the number of parts of the ship model.

The ship in a bottle is assembled piece by piece. All the parts are inside through the neck. First of all, we create a support model, which is attached with glue. Then the vessel is attached to it; special hooks or glue were used for this.

All small parts, including the masts, were delivered in a bottle. It is the installation of masts that raises the most questions among people.

It’s very simple. The masts of the model are attached using threads that pass through the body. The sails are folded along the side so that they can pass through the neck of the bottle.

When the model is inside the bottle and securely fixed on the stand, you need to pull the thread that stretches through the neck following the model.

The tension of the thread raises the masts, after which all that remains is to cut the technical cable using a heated wire and seal the bottle.

Every master has his own secret

There are at least 14 main ways of assembling models, which craftsmen call “bubbling” in a bottle. Each of them uses their own necessary equipment. For example, submarines are usually cut into pieces and then carefully assembled inside the bottle, carefully sealing the seams.

However, aerobatics is assembling sailboats. Ships completely assembled from the smallest parts inside a bottle are a real rarity, as the process can take several months.

And most importantly, most of our methods are kept secret, because “bottle shipbuilding” is not only a business, but also practically a sporting discipline. In Moscow, for example, according to some sources, only 34 people know how to make such souvenirs. Now you know too.

I am voicing this thought to you. Have a good day!