Model Butcher's Shop thumbnail 1
Model Butcher's Shop thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at Young V&A
Imagine Gallery, Adventure, Case 3

Model Butcher's Shop

ca. 1850 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A model of a butcher's shop made of carved wood, painted, inside a walnut veneered glazed casing. The shop contains two butchers and an apprentice, two butcher's blocks and 82 joints of meat and animal carcasses. Four sash windows are above the shop front with potted plants in between them. The figures each wear a cotton apron.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Carved wood, painted; in a walnut veneered case
Brief description
Model of a butcher's shop, carved and painted wood, made in England in about 1850
Physical description
A model of a butcher's shop made of carved wood, painted, inside a walnut veneered glazed casing. The shop contains two butchers and an apprentice, two butcher's blocks and 82 joints of meat and animal carcasses. Four sash windows are above the shop front with potted plants in between them. The figures each wear a cotton apron.
Dimensions
  • Height: 515mm
  • Width: 720mm
  • Depth: 175mm
Production typeUnique
Credit line
Given by Her Majesty Queen Mary
Historical context
Models of this type and subject are relatively common, but their intended purpose is not completely clear. We can see that they provided a useful visual guide to the different cuts of meat available. It has been suggested that they were placed in the window when the shop was closed, or the weather hot, as a trade sign. When refrigeration became available they would no longer have been necessary.
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
W.58-1929

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Record createdMay 5, 2004
Record URL
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