Earthenware drug jar, Middle East, before 1932
- Made:
- before 1932 in Middle East
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Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Earthenware drug jar, glazed, Islamic
This Islamic drug jar is a typical size, shape and design. Ceramics like this are very difficult to date because the style has changed little over time. The illustration shows two women kneeling in a garden and gathering plants, presumably to use in medical preparations, while a nightingale looks on. Pestles and mortars used to grind up ingredients for drugs and treatments can also be seen. The jar’s contents would have been protected using an age-old technique – a parchment or vellum cover tied off with string.
This jar was purchased in Cairo, Egypt, in 1932 by Captain Johnston-Saint, one of Henry Wellcome’s agents who collected on his behalf.
Details
- Category:
- Classical & Medieval Medicine
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A112954
- Materials:
- earthenware (glazed)
- Measurements:
-
overall: 177 mm x 115 mm, 0.432 kg
- type:
- drug jar
- credit:
- Bey Yesdi, H.M.
