Not currently on display at the V&A

Bottle Ticket

1791-1792 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Bottle tickets identified the contents of a bottle or decanter, which might alternatively contain spirits, sauces, toilet waters or cordials. Contemporary gazettes begin to refer to ‘labels for bottles’ in the 1770s but it was not until the 1790s that they were established as wine or decanter labels.

These tickets also illustrate, in miniature, the skills of the silversmith over the last two hundred years. While the variety of styles and materials was enormous, silver bottle tickets tended to reflect fashionable designs and technical advances in metalware generally.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Bottle Ticket
  • Chain
Materials and techniques
Bright cut silver
Brief description
Silver, London hallmarks for 1791-2, mark of James Stamp
Physical description
Bottle Ticket "Port", Silver, flattened urn shape with bright cut edge, chain attached and engraved monogram JSLJ
Dimensions
  • Height: 1.25in
  • Length: 2in
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
  • Mark of IS probably for James Stamp
  • Engraved with a monogram, JSLJ
  • London hallmarks for 1791-2
  • PORT
Credit line
P. J. Cropper Bequest
Object history
Bequest - P. J. Cropper
per W J Sheldrick
Acquisition RF: 44 / 177
Production
Reason For Production: Retail
Subject depicted
Summary
Bottle tickets identified the contents of a bottle or decanter, which might alternatively contain spirits, sauces, toilet waters or cordials. Contemporary gazettes begin to refer to ‘labels for bottles’ in the 1770s but it was not until the 1790s that they were established as wine or decanter labels.

These tickets also illustrate, in miniature, the skills of the silversmith over the last two hundred years. While the variety of styles and materials was enormous, silver bottle tickets tended to reflect fashionable designs and technical advances in metalware generally.
Collection
Accession number
M.466-1944

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Record createdSeptember 10, 2004
Record URL
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