{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O105811"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O105811/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O105811","accessionNumber":"M.702&PART-1944","objectType":"Bottle ticket","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Beer was the most popular table drink in Britain until tea became more widely available and affordable in the late 1700s. It was considered to be both nutritious and a healthy alternative to the dubious quality of the water. The use of cheaper Sheffield plate for this ticket shows the wide market for bottle tickets at many levels of society.\r\n\r\nThe history of bottle tickets provides a fascinating 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.  Their function was to identify the contents of a bottle or decanter, which might alternatively contain spirits, sauces, toilet waters or cordials.  These tickets also illustrate in miniature, the skills of the silversmith over the last two hundred years.  While the variety of styles and materials were enormous, silver bottle tickets tended to reflect fashionable designs in metalware generally.  Makers were quick to adapt the many technical advances of the period 1700-1900  to the manufacture of bottle tickets.","physicalDescription":"Bottle ticket \"BEER\".  Sheffield plate (one side only):  fancy escutcheon with design of growing barley and chain attached.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Sheffield plate","id":"AAT81349"}],"techniques":[{"text":"plating","id":"AAT53991"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Sheffield plate, a laminate of sterling silver fused on to a copper core","categories":[{"text":"Drinking","id":"THES48965"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"65 (VA)","id":"THES49734"},"free":"","case":"CA016","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"016","id":"THES412493"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Bottle ticket","id":""}],[{"text":"Chain","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Sheffield","id":"x29138"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1760","earliest":"1755-01-01","latest":"1764-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"AM/MET/0001","id":"ARC257664"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"P. J. Cropper Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"1.5","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"2.25","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"No marks","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"BEER","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Bequest - P. J. Cropper\nper W J Sheldrick\nAcquisition RF: 44 / 177\r\n\r\nSee associated 'Catalogue of bottle tickets or decanter labels', ca. 1800- ca. 1850. This has been digitised in full and can be viewed online by searching the V&A Archives. Ref: AM/MET/0001 or at V&A Storehouse.\r\nTitle: ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Sheffield plate, Sheffield, ca.1760","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"Reason For Production: Retail","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"barley","id":"x38251"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"\"BEER\"\r\nSheffield plate\r\nEnglish, around 1760\r\nBeer was the most popular table drink, offered alongside wine.  The use of cheaper Sheffield plate shows the wide market for bottle tickets at many levels of society.\r\nP.J. Cropper Bequest\r\nM.702-1944","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["M.702-1944","M.702PART-1944"],"accessionNumberNum":"702","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1944,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Bottle ticket","Chain"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-07-22","recordCreationDate":"2004-09-27","availableToBook":false}}