Bottle Ticket
1799-1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The chain is missing from this label, which carries a pierced letter R. Bottle tickets identified the contents of a bottle or decanter, which might alternatively contain spirits, sauces, toilet waters or cordials. This ticket would have hung round the neck of a decanter or bottle containing a drink beginning with R, such as raisin or Rhenish wine.
The history of bottle tickets gives us an insight into English eating, drinking and personal habits. 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.
The history of bottle tickets gives us an insight into English eating, drinking and personal habits. 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 | Silver, pierced |
| Brief description | "R" Silver, mark of Phipps and Robinson, London hallmarks for 1799-1800 |
| Physical description | Bottle ticket (one of a set of three) bearing the Roman capital letter R (pierced). Silver, rectangular with reeded edge; chain attached. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | P. J. Cropper Bequest |
| Summary | The chain is missing from this label, which carries a pierced letter R. Bottle tickets identified the contents of a bottle or decanter, which might alternatively contain spirits, sauces, toilet waters or cordials. This ticket would have hung round the neck of a decanter or bottle containing a drink beginning with R, such as raisin or Rhenish wine. The history of bottle tickets gives us an insight into English eating, drinking and personal habits. 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.1223-1944 |
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| Record created | January 6, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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