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Markus Imthurn:
I spent nine years developing the construction method for these ship miniatures, based on detailed instructions from the legendary Englishman Donald McNarry, who elevated shipbuilding in miniature to an art form during the 1950s. My aim was to produce ships so perfect and made in such a way that they could stand comparison with museum miniatures. Just like the museum version, they were to be made entirely by hand without any cast elements - but available at a tenth of the price. Hundreds of tests later, I have achieved my goal - the ship miniatures from Maritime Mystiques.

The Nao Sao Gabriel, 15th century
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I build the miniatures to the standard international 1:400 scale (32'-1''). All parts are made by hand. One ship miniature may require up to 300 parts.

National Maritime Museum
Toulon, South of France
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The Building of a Ship Miniature

The planning
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I visit libraries and maritime museums to research how the original ship looked. Construction of the miniature is prepared in the greatest detail using scale plans and intricate sketches.

The hull
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I cut and shape the hull from a piece of wood, using patterns to help me get it exactly right according to the construction plans. Separate decks and hatches mean that you can see right into the lower decks in places. I then create the deck rail and other railings from up to 80 individual parts.

The figurehead
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I use a scalpel to carve the figurehead from a piece of finest-grade plaster. More embellishments for the ship's hull are made in the same way.

The anchor
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Tiny individual parts are prepared from a variety of materials and then put together to build the anchor.

The dinghy
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The dinghy is cut and hollowed out from a small piece of wood. It has a keel, several thwarts and oars.

The masts
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I cut the masts from bamboo. The crow's nests are made of at least eight individual parts.

The painting
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I now carefully undercoat, paint and varnish the hull, masts and all the fittings and equipment. A little weathering gives old-fashioned ships a more realistic look.

The sails
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Sails are to scale and are given their characteristic seams, colours and designs before being attached to the yards. Getting the sails to billow and hang realistically is the hardest part of creating a ship miniature.

The rigging
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The complex rigging on a medium-sized ship can involve over 150 different parts, each of which I paint and attach to the ship individually. I might also build up to 100 blocks into the rigging.

The flags
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Last but not least I paint the flags and pennants, having carefully researched their design so that they resemble the originals as closely as possible. When run up the masts they hang just like the real thing.

The finished miniature
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After many days of work, the ship miniature is complete.