Steady hands and patience are just two of the many things needed to master this type of mechanical puzzle. While most just call them ship in a bottle, their actually referred to as the impossible bottle and for a good reason.

Like a great magician who performs tricks on the stage, the end result often leaves us puzzled and bewildered in wonder.

When it comes to the classic ship in a bottle, it’s hard to ignore the curiously of answering the age old question, “how did they do that?” Luckily, this old form of maritime art isn’t as mysterious to create as it looks. The secret lies in constructing a ship with masts that fold downwards. After sliding the ship through the narrow mouth of the bottle a string pulls the masts upwards to eventually, rest flat upon the deck.

In contrast, the history behind these pieces of art remains quite a complex mystery. Even the experts are stumped, leaving their answers to only guesses and lore. Some claim they were once traded among sailors, offered as gifts and used as a means to pass time while out on the seas.

As of today, the oldest ship in a bottle can be found in the Netherlands at the Maritime Museum and dates back to the late 1700s.

Interestingly enough, aside from ships, the art of putting things in bottles actually dates all the back to 310 BC. During the time, Theophrastus, an Ancient Greek philosopher threw a bottle in the Mediterranean sea to discover it was formed by the inflowing Atlantic Ocean. Christopher Columbus also tossed a bottle into the seas with hopes it would reach the Queen of Castile. By the 16th century the idea has expanded to become a way of sending messages ashore with enemy positions.

With that said, go ahead and explore these top 60 best ship in a bottle tattoo designs for men below. You’ll find cool ink ideas from small realistic sailboats to colossal ships hauling armies of sea-faring warriors and cargo.