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Raleigh, Continental frigate, Ship in bottle, 2020
Alexander F. Bellinger
Newburyport, MA
Oak, pine, boxwood, ebony, holly, pine, pearwood,paper, thread, glazing putty, oil paint
10 litre bottle 15" x 81/2"
Collection of the artist
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How do you put a ship in a bottle? As Alex Bellinger says, "That’s easier to answer than why you put a ship in a bottle." Three basic techniques are based on the same principle: the model is made outside the bottle in such a way that it can be easily disassembled so it can pass through the bottle neck and be easily reassembled or reshaped inside.
Alex was intrigued by ships in bottles from an early age. Self-taught, he has gone on to master the art of the miniature ship in a bottle. In his opinion, "A good ship in bottle is like a cross between a fine scale model and a spirited sketch or painting. If successful, the ship in a bottle will intrigue with the quality of detail from the first and inspire the immediacy of the second. "
Alex served as an Associate of Maritime History at the Peabody Essex Museum of Salem, where he cleaned, repaired, researched, and developed the ship model collection. This led to many years of restoring ship models for public and private customers. Though lucrative, Alex eventually found it more satisfying to create new models, most of which went into bottles. In addition to winning many awards, he is active in the USS Constitution Model Shipwright Guild. He is well acquainted with the national and international ship-in-bottle world. In 2020, Bellinger was named a Finalist in the Traditional Arts by Mass Cultural Council .
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