a late victorian model of a four masted fully rigged sailing vessel passing a small coastal village, set inside a late victorian clear glass bottle. the coastal village consisting of a lighthouse, numerous cottages, trees a church and a windmill. the ship sailing on a putty sea is flying a blue ensign. since 1864 the blue ensign can only be flown by merchant ships whose officers and crew include a number of retired Royal Navy personnel, or the ships captain is in the Royal Navy reserve. or the ship is a royal research ship by warrant. the ship sits on a simple dowel stand. the lettering on the kicked up bottom reads " six to a gallon ," its original contents was probably whiskey and dates to 1880-1890.
length ... 315mm.
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.
