a finally modelled ship portrait in a bottle of a five masted square rigged ship known as a windjammer, housed in a clear glass whisky or rum bottle. Five-masted windjammers, colossal steel hulled sailing cargo vessels were the apex of commercial sail in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. their extreme scale meant windjammers became the ultimate ultra-low-cost workhorses for heavy bulk commodities, capable of carrying non time dependant cargos cheaper than their steam ship rivals. the ship is sailing on a blue moulded putty sea, the accurately carved wood hull is painted black with cargo hatches and delicately made miniature taff rails. the carved wood masts and fine yards and spars are carefully cotton rigged.
length ... 300mm x 77mm diameter.
the ship in bottle as folkart is probably, unfairly the greatest cliche of maritime folkart and as such is often overlooked. the amount of skill , artistry and maritime knowledge can not be underestimated in each creation. sculpting ships in bottles became fashionable in the 19th century ,helped by the introduction of mass produced clear glass bottles, an explosion in maritime trade and the desire to bring home a token , souvenir of travel on the high seas. the genuine sailor art form continued into the early 20th century when finally it fell out of fashion with mariners. an original sailor made ship in bottle served as a poignant reminder of the magnificence of both – the vessels and the maritime domain. the ship in bottle was often given as a token of love or endearment. it would have held pride of place in a loved ones home. ships in bottles in their heyday were solely the creations of sailors. to own a ship in a bottle would portray to the onlooker that the custodian was associated with an adventurer, a world explorer who would ride the tempest and all that neptune and his sirens could conjure, to get safely back to his love. it would also serve as a message in a bottle to any of the artists maritime peers that when it came to the sea and who ever may sail , that he really knew what he was talking about.
