Edinburgh: Graeme Murray Gallery, 1991
Red 100% cotton sweatshirt with an image of a boat called "Little Little Drummer Boy". Finlay was interested in this image from the 1970s because the reef knots on the sails reminded him of the pattern on the outside of the drums used by the French revolutionary army within which Bara the "little drummer boy" was martyred. XL. There were blue, grey and black variants of this clothing multiple. VG+
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1994
5cm, dia. printed plastic with metal safety pin clasp. A lapel badge with the title text on it in white on red (the colour of blood). Issued in the year of the European elections the slogan alludes to Saint-Just's "Fewer laws, more examples" but here the over emphasis on "too many" rather and "fewer" refelcts Finlay's own experiences with Scottish local governmental restrictions. Limitation not known. VG+>
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1994
5cm, dia. printed plastic with metal safety pin clasp. A lapel badge with the title text on it in blue on white. Issued in the year of the European elections the slogan alludes to Saint-Just's "Fewer laws, more examples" but with a twist - the "allegations" referred to seem to relate to the libel of Finlay by Catherine Millet and others who accused Finlay of being anti-Semitic (which was absurd and deliberately based on untruths and lies) and the lack of examples being the lack of evidence. Limitation not known. VG+>
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d.
5.5 x 3.5 x 1.3cm, original "Scottish bluebell" matchbox which has been modified by the addition of a printed glued on card such that when the box is opened the "Sail" of a boat emerges with the text "WK279" upon it - the boat's number. If you wish to google it then it is a real boat - working trawler. On another part of the card the text reads: "BLUEBELL Call Sign GMWZ 38 net tons". The boat's name , of course, matches the brand of the matches.
An ingenious small object multiple that charms in the surprise of the pop up "sail". Edition size not known. VG+.
N.p. (Little Sparta): s.p. (Wild Hawthorn Press), n.d. (1995?) 16.5 x 15 x 24cm, glazed ceramic teapot with a text "TEAPOTS ARE THE NAVALS OF HAPPY HOUSEHOLDS". A limited edition object multiple - Finlay produced at least two teapots with text of which this is one. Slight internal damage to the pot but not visible from outside when the lid is on. Limited edition - the actual number produced was not many.
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d.
16 x 10.5cm, transparent resealable plastic bag content of a 12.2 x 6cm, brown manilla label with string. On the label is a poem by Finlay:
Simple and
useful,
attached
like the Idea
in Plato,
a circle
incised in
its rectangle
of cardboard
and string.
The poem describes the label but compares it to Platonic philosophy where items have perfect forms which are perceived by humanity.
Limitation unknown. VG+. Scarce.
Edinburgh: City of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries, 1996
Two sheets of cinderella stamps - each 14,5 x 13cm, consisting of 12 stamps with designs by Finlay and Gary Hincks issued separately from the book (stamp album) "The Illustrated Stamp Album for Postage Stamps of the World: Imagined Lands; Vol. XIV Scotland." > The book was issued in 500 copies but some of the stamps were available separately. The brown 35p stamp -HARVESTER- shows a wooden old fashioned fish box (where fish are sold at market from) and the blue 1 euro - GLEAMER - shows a more modern plastic version of the same box. The move from the traditional to the new reflects the change in marItime law that took place when the UK entered the European Union.
Finlay did cards and also an unique work based on these boat names and registration numbers. PD is Peterhead and B is Belfast.
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, Christmas 1998
4 x 10 x 3.5cm, custom made printed cardboard box content of two cotton reels - one with light blue thread, the other grey. The outside of the box has the text: "TWO HORIZONS". The object multiple references a number of other Finlay works that notes that a horizon at sea is blue and that on land is grey. A physical embodiment of that visual poem. The box is slightly damaged but overall VG.
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1999
Original mailing box content of a 2 x 4 x 1cm, pewter faux "net marker" with the inscription "SP" and a 12 x 16cm, 4pp printed card. A Christmas gift (here to the art dealers and curators M+R Fricke, Dusseldorf). Net markers, traditionally made of wood or cork, were used to establish ownership of nets in fishing communities and in ports usually carved with the fisherman's initials (sometimes a monogram) or later, as boats and their crews grew larger, with the fishing numbers of the fisherman's boat.
The card has a drawing on it (by Gary Hincks) of five net markers with A, JS, JN, SP, A on them - these represent the first five of Jesus's disciples and there is a biblical quote - from Matthew 4: 'As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother,...“. The card was signed in red ink “love from Ian and Pia (Simmig)".
The pewter marker here has "SP" on it - representing Simon Peter (later to become the Catholic Saint Peter and the founder of the Catholic church). Being a Christmas gift this has a religious meaning - the first disciples were fishermen and much of that metaphor of Jesus as a fisher of men is reflected in this story of recruitment. This object multiple falls firmly within Finlay's interest of marine life and the communities around them.
The outer mailing box is a little battered due to the mailing process and the inner card is slightly bent due to the box not quite being big enough to allow it to sit without some warping but otherwise this is in VG+ condition. Scarce - limitation was limited to those for friends and colleagues.
N.p. (Basel?): s.p. (Finlay), n.d.
2.5 x 3.5 x 0.75cm, two part printed matchbox content of blue tipped safety matches. The outside of the box has two separate sides – one being a promotional address and logo for a Swiss nightclub and the other (rather bizarrely) being an Ian Hamilton Finlay work with the name of a boat (Blue Lemon) with details of its port (Moray Firth) and boat number. We can find no reference to this in the Finlay literature and we do not know the limitation but it came from the collection of Finlay’s friend and collaborator Janet Boulton. In VG+ estate. Scarce.
Not in the Murray catalogue raisonne.
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 2001
180 x 35cm., 100% lamb's wool scarf with embroidered text. One corner of the blanket is stitched in such a way that one corner is permanently folded back. The title "ART IS A SMALL ADJUSTMENT" hints at the minimalism of the work. A Xmas gift from Finlay to friends - there were two colour variations in the wool colour - dark blue and light brown - this is one of the latter. VG.
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 2002
183 x 122cm, two colour embroidery on a wool/cashmere blanket with backing material.
The original version of SAILS/WAVES was originally conceived in 1970 and published as an artist's card. There was an earlier design variant of the same work but essentially the equivalence of the shape of sails being blown in the wind with the shape of waves is the point here. One is reminded in some ways of Wittgenstein's Rabbit/Duck visual pun.
Only 20 examples of this large blanket were made. An artwork to keep you intellectually warm.
