Not currently on display at the V&A

Bottle Ticket

1793-1794 (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.The word Madeira on this ticket refers to a rich fortified wine made on the island of Madeira. 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
Materials and techniques
Engraved silver
Brief description
Silver, mark of Phipps and Robinson, London hallmarks for 1793-1794
Physical description
Bottle ticket with the word MADEIRA (one of a pair). Silver, oval with engraved decoration including wavy borders, chain attached.
Dimensions
  • Height: 0.9375in
  • Length: 1.6875in
Marks and inscriptions
  • Mark of Phipps and Robinson
  • London hallmarks for 1793-4
  • MADEIRA
Credit line
Given by J. H. Fitzhenry
Summary
Bottle tickets identified the contents of a bottle or decanter, which might alternatively contain spirits, sauces, toilet waters or cordials.The word Madeira on this ticket refers to a rich fortified wine made on the island of Madeira. 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 object
Collection
Accession number
1245A-1903

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Record createdDecember 31, 2004
Record URL
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