Not currently on display at the V&A

Bottle Ticket

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

The word ‘Mountain’ engraved on this bottle ticket refers to a Malaga wine made from Spanish mountain grapes.

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, engraved
Brief description
Silver, London hallmarks for 1791-2, mark of James Phipps II
Physical description
Bottle Ticket, one of of a set of four, "MOUNTAIN", Silver, scrolls with rounded ends and bright cut and leafy borders, the latter rising to support an oval escutcheon above, engraved with a monogram, JAP.
Dimensions
  • Height: 1.25in
  • Length: 2in
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
  • Mark of I.P for James Phipps I
  • Engraved with a monogram, JAP.
  • London hallmarks for 1791-92
  • MOUNTAIN
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
The word ‘Mountain’ engraved on this bottle ticket refers to a Malaga wine made from Spanish mountain grapes.

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.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
M.477-1944

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Record createdSeptember 10, 2004
Record URL
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