Message in a Bottle

Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle by Yinka Shonibare

The new artwork on the Fourth Plinth of Trafalgar Square in London is a giant scale replica of HMS Victory, in a bottle. The ship's enormous sails are made of the richly patterned textiles commonly associated with African dress. These fabrics are, in fact, inspired by Indonesian batik design, mass produced by the Dutch and sold to the colonies in West Africa. By the 1960s the material was popularly assimilated in Africa and became symbolic of African identity and independence. Tying together historical and global threads and traversing oceans and continents, this work considers the complexity of British expansion in trade and Empire, made possible through the freedom of the seas that Nelson’s victory provided.
"This piece is an expression of Nelson's legacy, a legacy which has contributed to the diversity of this city." says Yinka Shonibare.