Brass Ship Models

If you are a serious collector of model ships, you have no doubt seen advertisements for brass ship models. While most serious collectors focus on wood based ships with brass and iron fittings as accents, brass ships are also a worthy collectors’ item. They are often overlooked by traditional collectors as they are considered decorative pieces rather than true collectors’ items, like a custom-built tall ship or classic ship model. However, brass ship models also have their place in any collection, either as a feature or an accent item.

Over the year brass ship models have been neglected for a number of reasons. Some of them are historical, while others are aesthetic concerns. Regardless of the reason that you have been leaving brass ship models out of your collection, the moment to re-examine that decision is at hand.

Let us begin with the historical concerns. Unlike a hand-painted true-to-life model of the HMS Bounty, a brass ship is uniform in color and expresses a limited amount of detail due to casting limitations. Yet ship model collecting is an ancient practice, and one can make the argument that returning to metal cast brass ship models is a throwback to earlier collection styles. Both the ancient Egyptians and the Greeks collected model ships, with preserved copies of funerary boats from Egyptian tombs on display in many museums.

Additionally, while brass ship models where less popular in the British Imperial era, cast lead models were quite widespread. These models often had strategic uses as military modeling devices. Brass models are therefore just a less toxic form of this kind of collection.

Another factor keeping many from embracing brass ship models is the aesthetic aspect. In a room of dark paneling and serious premium quality models, a brass cast can seem quite out of place. Not in keeping with the darker maritime tones, many collectors push brass aside or sniff at brass ships as mere knick-knacks.

However, it is precisely because brass ship models are different than the traditional wood models that they should have a place in any serious collection. Typically done on a much smaller scale than sailing models, a case of brass ship models provides contrast and breadth to any collection.

If you absolutely can not bring yourself to consider adding brass ship models to your collection as part of the main collection, you may want to think about other ways to incorporate brass items into your overall nautical décor. Flat brass ship models make an excellent wall fleet, and round brass window accents can really bring out the nautical flavor of a room.

On your traditional ships, you could also consider adding brass accents to your custom orders. This can help draw attention to the finer details of your collection. Brass model ships in a smaller scale than your larger wooden ships can also serve as label for your mounted collection, bringing a touch of affluence and class to even the plainest display setting. Thus, even though you may have been excluding brass from your collection in the past it is time to bring it back in and make it at least a small part of your current collection.