Toothpaste pot, England, 1860-1895

Made:
1860-1895 in England
Creamware toothpaste pot, English, 1860 to 1895 Creamware toothpaste pot, English, 1860 to 1895

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creamware toothpaste pot, English, 1860 to 1895
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Creamware toothpaste pot, English, 1860 to 1895
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Creamware toothpaste pot, English, 1860 to 1895

A growing range of tooth powders and toothpastes began to be commercially available in the middle years of the 1800s. This pot would have contained 'Victoria toothpaste’ made from Areca nuts. Native to India, areca nuts have long been used in ayurvedic medicines. Here, the nut was used to clean the teeth, freshen the breath and strengthen the gums as well as prevent tooth decay. The Areca nut was only used in English toothpastes and powders.

Victoria is probably a reference to Queen Victoria (1819-1901). It was a typical advertising technique used to imply that the queen used this type of toothpaste, suggesting that it must be of the highest quality.

Details

Category:
Dentistry
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A606153
Materials:
pottery, creamware
Measurements:
overall: 37 mm x 63 mm x 63 mm, .21kg
type:
toothpaste pot