Red Seal Merchant Ship - 3D model

[Gamerprinter]

Getting further inspired to develope a marketable campaign world, based on my Archean Trade League - September Challenge Map entry.

The map compelled me to create the gazeteer, then an adventure, and after some research in Wikipedia, I decided to bring a Japanese invasion to the Archean Straits.

Below is a 3D model I just created using Nichimen Nendo and Raydream Studio of a Japanese Red Seal Merchant Ship. I created this based on a 17th century print of this ship. Some of the yard arms don't line up with the sails perfectly and I didn't place any yards or ropes that you'd find holding the sails in place or supporting the masts - I should have drawn them in, but I didn't.

Very interesting things about it.

First of all the ship has a cargo capacity of 500 tons, which makes it as large as a Spanish Galleon. This ship is armed, I'm guessing the guns are mounted in those side mounted cages on the ship. Regarding those side cage structures - they are remarkably similar in structure and placement to "rock drops" structures found on Japanese castles. I'm sure they were built for the same purpose in mind.

Of the Japanese design of this ship - I love the extreme arch of the deck, something seen on older Japanese ship designs and on arched bridges (the kind that cross rivers, just upsidedown.) Also that strange open area under the foc'sle, and at the stern of the ship - bizarre to have a deck at that level on the bow of the ship. The 17th century print showed people on that deck.

Red Seal Merchant Ships were the last of their kind, prior to Japan closing itself from the world, in 1636, until Commodore Perry's visit in the mid 1800's.

As a measure to control Japanese piracy, the Shogunate created the Red Seal Ship System. Any Japanese ship that did not have the official Red Seal charter could be considered a pirate ship and denied access to foreign ports. Also Red Seal ships were under the Shogun's protection, such that any vessel assaulting a Red Seal Ship, was declaring war on the Shogunate.

Another thing, this is a transitional ship, as far as ship's architecture goes. This ship incorporated western technologies. Notice the top sails above those distinctly oriental main sails, as well as the square sail on the mizzen mast to the rear of the ship, and that fore sail at the bow - these were borrowed ideas from Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and English ships to improve speed. So the Japanese were borrowing technologies even back then.

This is the main type of ship, I plan to use as my invasion force on Archea.

I talk abit more of what I intend to do in my "Baronton Wharf" thread in the VT forum.

What do think of my creation for the day?

GP