If you’re a fan of mudlarking—or perhaps just a fan of watching other people mudlark— then @flo_finds on Instagram is about to send you down a rabbit hole you never expected. In a recent post, Florence Evans—self-described mudlarker and art historian/dealer—finds a bottle seal.
A bottle seal is a glass monogram stamp applied to a glass wine bottle; these were in use as early as the 1600s. While the stamp might identify the tavern that sold the wine, it often was something a wealthy individual would use to identify wine from one’s own cellar. It’s a situation where the logo identifying the end user rather than the wine maker, which is customary today.
The rabbit hole entrance to bottle seals can be found at https://britisharchaeology.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/highlights/bottlesandseals.html
The Instagram short can be found at