OP: Wine, Spirit and Sauce Labels of the 18th and 19th Centuries
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H. W. Hunt, Norwich, England, 1933. Hardcover. Very Good. Signed limited edition.
In the 18th century, wine (and liquor and sauce) bottles were opaque, masking the quality of contents inside. To prove cleanliness and clarity, then, those of discerning taste decanted the bottle’s contents into clear glass for table service. To distinguish the contents, “bottle tickets”—elaborate plaques, usually made of engraved silver but also sometimes ivory or mother of pearl—would be hung around the bottles’ necks.
Besides being handsome works of art, the labels also speak to fashionable, or even homemade, wines, liquors, or sauces of the period in which they were in use. They are now prized collectors’ items.
This attractive limited edition book includes three glossy inserts (6 plates), showcasing the craftsmanship and the variety of the labels one might have found in high-class homes. It is enough to whet the appetite of a budding collector or inspire food historians to inquire further.
Very Good; lightly shelfworn. Without jacket, as issued. Limited edition of 250 copies. Hand numbered and signed by the author.
