Wooden ship models are built-to-scale representations of modern or ancient sea-faring vessels.

Traditionally, all types of ship models have been built of wood, though with the advent of plastic and sheet metal, these have been used for amateur kits. Of course, wooden models project grandeur and finesse. The ancient Egyptians were the pioneers who made detailed ship models. The models were crafted as part of funeral rituals, which forced the builders to strive for precision, otherwise the unmitigated soul would pester them. The ship models kept inside the coffin were supposed to transport the soul of the deceased to the next world.

Modern-day sea-faring received much instruction from these carefully preserved, 5,000- year-old models. Specimens of these boats found a place in the British Museum, the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many other museums worldwide.

Modern-day ship models came into existence before or during the construction of many eighteenth- and nineteenth-century warships. These were known as Admiralty or Shipyard models. Many of these models did not show the timbering they would have in the actual vessel, but the models illustrated the form of the hull and details of the deck furnishings, masts, spars, and general frame. The models provided the non-sea-faring financiers with a bird