a 19th century ship in a bottle depicting a hybrid steam-sail ship of the 1860's-70's. with a black painted carved wooden hull, carved masts and spars, cotton thread rigging and a centrally located painted wood red funnel with a black top, modelled sailing on a painted putty sea. the ship is housed in an oval bottle, the piece dating from the 1880's or earlier. the colour scheme of the funnel suggests that the ship has been modelled on a cunard shipping line vessel of the time.
hybrid steam-sail ships became popular during the mid 19th century. early steam engines were bulky, inefficient, and consumed too much coal for long-distance voyages, as a result vessels used steam engines to navigate coastal waters or in calm conditions, and relied on sails for ocean crossings.
230mm long x 95mm wide x 55mm deepthe 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.
