When The World Was Flat

The Tale:

Many moons ago there was a young child who enthusiastically ran to father and proclaimed, “I want to be the greatest sailor and explorer that ever lived!” The ambitious youth spent their days dreaming of the exotic foreign lands they would visit and great riches they would plunder. As quick as the child told their father, their father instantly crushed the child’s dream. “Don’t be foolish, where will you go? Everyone knows the world is flat!” Before the child could get a word in, father said, “come with me.” Together the two went into fathers’ study where he reached into his large wooden trunk of family heirlooms and other prized possessions. Father pulled out the most beautifully ornate wooden display, passed down many generations, which contained a map of the world. “Look for yourself, the only adventure to be had would be plunging to the depths of the never ending abyss with the other foolish souls whom didn’t heed their fathers’ words.” Sadly, the child began to tear up and asked, “If I can’t be a great explorer and adventurer what will I do?” “Be a baker like mother, or make shoes like me,” father replied. Discouraged the child walked off, pondering an important life decision... Scones or Sandals? Biscuits or Boots? Who needs riches and adventure anyways!

The Project:

For this submission I wanted to play with the whole world being flat concept. I knew I wanted a 3D map, to capture the fear of falling off the edge of the world, and to do so in a way that would present and display well. The goal was to create a unique conversation piece different from today’s Lego offerings. The map displays various geography and elevations. You can see many fine ships sailing the seas- some even riding the wave to the Abyss! Even in the short time I’ve displayed it at my house people can’t help but be drawn to it, and once they see it they always have comments. With regards to our younger Lego builders out there, while putting this together my daughter (aged 6) and I had conversations about the times when people believed the world was flat, which led to me pulling out the map and then the globe. Anytime you can build, play, and learn that’s a great opportunity! 

I feel this set appeals to many Lego builders and collectors from those interested in Ships, Castles, Pirates, to Lego fans in general. I really tried to make it look like an antique and give it some ornate touches to give it a sense of being a special family heirloom. This set also displays well with two of my personal favorite Lego Ideas sets- The Old Fishing Store and The Ship in a Bottle.  

The Specs:

Total Piece Count is 2324.

Of note- Piece count can be reduced by using larger pieces or by hollowing out the legs. I wanted to make it sturdy since I have 3 little ones, and with respect to piece selection- I used what I had or what I could obtain. This could easily be made under 2000 pieces by simply using larger pieces for the internal structure that isn’t visible and hence wouldn’t compromise detail whatsoever. 

Conclusion:

Thanks so much for taking the time to look at my project. I really hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed building it. If you feel the project is worthwhile please support and help us reach 10,000! Please spread the word by sharing it with your friends and on social media. :)