Framed Antique Victorian Cookery Illustration of Potted Meat Basket with Aspic Border

This charming framed antique colour illustration is taken from Cassell’s New Universal Cookery Book by Lizzie Heritage, first published in 1896. The print depicts a Victorian dish titled Potted Meat Basket with Aspic Border, showing a wicker basket form filled with sliced potted meat and surrounded by a delicate moulded aspic border on a footed serving plate.

The illustration has the soft painterly colour and culinary drama associated with late 19th century cookery books, when presentation was central to fashionable dining. Aspic and moulded savouries were a notable part of Victorian and Edwardian table decoration, with elaborate centrepieces used to show the skill and imagination of the cook.

The print has been carefully removed from an original copy of the 1896 first edition for framing, meaning the illustration itself is genuinely Victorian and over 125 years old. The soft mustard mount and simple wooden frame give the piece a fresh decorative feel, ready to hang or display.

It would work beautifully in a kitchen, dining room, pantry or breakfast nook, where the historical character and warm tones bring culinary heritage and a gentle touch of humour. It would also pair well with vintage cooking ephemera, antique kitchenware, botanical prints and other framed Victorian or Edwardian illustrations as part of a styled gallery wall.

The framed print is in good antique and vintage condition, with light signs of age to the paper, frame and backing, all in keeping with its character as a framed historical illustration.