Yinka Shonibare

Private Collection, New York

This work is in very good condition overall. There is evidence of minor surface soiling and dust accumulation on the bottle and along the crevices of the plinth. There is a minor loss measuring approximately ½ inch long along the top edge of the base.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present work is a smaller version of Yinka Shonibare's Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle that the artist made for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in London in 2010. Commissioned by the Mayor of London and supported by Arts Council England with sponsorship from Guaranty Trust Bank of Nigeria, the artwork was a scale replica of Admiral Nelson's HMS Victory from the Battle of Trafalgar. Speaking of the ships as both a symbol for his African identity as well as British colonialism, Shonibare once claimed: "For me it's a celebration of London's immense ethnic wealth, giving expression to and honoring the many cultures and ethnicities that are still breathing precious wind into the sails of the United Kingdom. A ship in a bottle is an object of wonder. Adults and children are intrigued by its mystery. How can such towering masts and billowing sails fit inside such a commonplace object? With Nelson's Ship in a Bottle I want to take this childhood sense of wonder and amplify it to match the monumental scale of Trafalgar Square."