Silver Marsala Label, Birmingham 1823

This opulent silver bottle ticket has a Bacchus mask to the centre surrounded by an abundance of vine leaves and grapes.

This Marsala label was made in Birmingham by one of the city's finest and most prolific toymakers, Joseph Taylor. The title is engraved on a banner with "S"-scrolls sweeping across the label towards the shell-decorated extremes. This label is in fine condition.

Marsala is a scarce name on wine labels. It is a dry or sweet wine, produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala in Sicily. While the city's natives sometimes drink "vintage" Marsala, the wine produced for export is universally fortified similar to Port, Madeira and Sherry. Originally, this addition of alcohol was to ensure that it would last on long ocean voyages, but now it is made that way because of its popularity in foreign markets.