The V&A will be hoping its latest exhibit gives visitors food for thought after it snapped up a tomato ketchup bottle inspired by an Ed Sheeran tattoo.
The bottle is one of just 150 made by Heinz after the Shape of You singer revealed he had a tattoo of the sauce’s traditional label on his right arm.
It will go on display in the museum’s Theatre and Performance gallery just as its exhibition on the future of food draws to a close on October 20.
Head of collections management Ramona Riedzewski said: “The iconic glass Heinz ketchup bottle is a familiar sight across the world. This limited-edition design, based on Ed Sheeran’s tattoos brings together many layers of art, design and performance enabling us to explore the modern-day world of celebrity culture, product endorsement and design, performers and the role of social media.
“It is a wonderful object to question the role of museums and what we collect, and is a powerful example of an open dialogue created through social media.”
The bottle is not the only food-related item in the theatre and performance collection which also includes a Charlie Chaplin toby jug and a lunchbox featuring lyrics from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda the Musical.
