Edwardian Silver Royal Wine Label Brandy. By Elkington & Co, London 1910

Edwardian Silver Royal Wine Label Brandy.

An Edwardian silver Wine Label of rectangular form with a fine raised border of shells, acanthus leaves and gadrooning. It has the added attraction of engraving with a royal connection, a royal crown above the word BRANDY; and below a buckled belt bearing the motto ‘HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE’ surrounding a small indicative representation of the lion and crown.

Together this is the Royal crest with garter and crown, symbols appearing only on silver in royal use and on ambassadorial silver – ambassadors are formally appointed by the Crown to represent the country abroad. It is also
the badge of the Honourable Order of the Garter, the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system.
Labels of this same design but in a larger size, made by Elkington & Co are in the Royal collection at Buckingham Palace and dated 1909.

By Elkington & Co, London 1910.

The size of this smaller label is likely to have been intended for a small spirit decanter, perhaps to contain the nightcap in the bedroom of a favoured guest. Might it have been intended for use in a royal palace? Or in a British embassy overseas? Or might a member of the Order of the Garter have ordered it to impress guests in his own house – and remind them of their host’s membership of the Order of the Garter?

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This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

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