Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Silver, Room 67, The Whiteley Galleries

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Bottle Ticket

1857-1858 (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. This silver ticket identifies the contents as the spirit whiskey.

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 the 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
Silver
Brief description
Silver, Birmingham hallmarks for 1857-8, mark of George Unite & Sons.
Physical description
Bottle ticket with the word "WHISKEY." Silver, repousse in the form of a bugle horn and cord; chain attached.
Dimensions
  • Length: 6.1cm
  • Width: 3.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Birmingham hallmarks for 1857-8
  • Mark of George Unite and Sons
  • WHISKEY
Gallery label
"WHISKEY" Birmingham, 1857-8 Mark of G. Unite M.1119-1944(2000)
Credit line
P. J. Cropper Bequest
Object history
Acquisition RF: 44 / 177
Bequest - P.J. Cropper
per W J Sheldrick
Subject depicted
Summary
Bottle tickets identified the contents of a bottle or decanter, which might alternatively contain spirits, sauces, toilet waters or cordials. This silver ticket identifies the contents as the spirit whiskey.

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 the designs and technical advances in metalware generally.
Collection
Accession number
M.1119-1944

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Record createdMarch 3, 2004
Record URL
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