In September, the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) acquired a limited-edition bottle of “Ed Sheeran x Heinz Tomato Ketchup, the Tattoo Edition” to display in its Theatre & Performance gallery, which explores the role of music and performance in the contemporary world.
Heinz collaborated with Ed Sheeran in celebration of their 150th birthday, releasing 150 limited-edition glass ketchup bottles that feature the singer’s tattoo of the condiment’s label, each signed by Sheeran himself.
As the ketchup brand’s self-proclaimed “biggest fan,”—hence, the tattoo— this isn’t Sheeran’s first time collaborating with Heinz. Earlier this year, Sheeran worked with the company to produce “Heinz Tomato Edchup,” which fans of both the musician and the condiment were able to buy in stores. This time around, the limited-edition bottles are not available for purchase; most were donated or sold to raise money for charity.
The V&A’s collection represents live performance in Britain over the last 350 years, through objects such as set models, costumes, original posters, paintings and photographs. A focus of the V&A is on how contemporary musicians and celebrity culture impacts our daily lives, and according to the museum, Sheeran’s tattoo-inspired bottle is a rare opportunity to document the growing impact of social media on art, design and performance, and the spread of tattooing into mainstream design in the UK.