This jar was used for storing drugs. It would have been part of a set of similar jars for different drugs, belonging to a pharmacy. A few more jars from the same set have survived. The constriction just underneath the rim was used to close the pot off with a piece of parchment or paper and a string.
The Latin inscription on the painted label refers to the original contents of the jar: Ieralocodion or 'Hiera Logadii', which is a purgative drug. The mixture of spices, which had to be kept dry in apothecary shops, was made in to a electuary with clarified honey.
Pharmacies in the Renaissance period were usually run by a monastic orders as part of their hospitals, or somtimes by one of the leading local families.
Physical description
Drugjar of tin-glazed earthenware, painted in blue, yellow and red. The entire surface, apart from yellow bands round the mouth and base, is decorated, in reserve on a blue ground, with formal daisy-like flowers, on stems with tendrils (which are scratched through the blue to the white) springing from an urn. Above this is a scroll, inscribed: 'IERALOCODION'
Place of Origin
Montelupo (made)
Date
first half of the 16th century (made)
Materials and Techniques
Tin-glazed earthenware, painted in colours
Marks and inscriptions
"'IERALOCODION'" 'Hiera Logadii' [a purgative drug] The Latin inscription on the painted label refers to the original contents of the jar. Ieralocodion or 'Hiera Logadii' is a purgative drug. The mixture of species, which had to be kept dry in apothecary shops, was made in to a electuary with clarified honey.
"Distinct scratchmarks on the bottom." It is not quite known what these marks indicate, but they were possibly an indication of content measurement.
Dimensions
Height: 22.5 cm
Diameter: 12.5 cm
Historical context note
This jar was used for storing drugs. It would have been part of a set of similar jars for different drugs, belonging to a pharmacy. A few more jars from the same set have survived. The constriction just underneath the rim was used to close the pot off with a piece of parchment or paper and a string.
The Latin inscription on the painted label refers to the original contents of the jar: Ieralocodion or 'Hiera Logadii', which is a purgative drug. The mixture of spices, which had to be kept dry in apothecary shops, was made in to a electuary with clarified honey.
Descriptive line
Drugjar, tin-glazed earthenware, painted in colours and with inscription: 'IERALOCODION'
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Bojani, G.C., C. Ravanelli Guidotti, A. Fanfani, La donazione Galeazzo Cora: ceramiche dal medioevo al XIX secolo, Milano, 1985 , fig.525, plate XLIV, p.208.
A similar drugjar is illustrated and discussed
Bojani, G.C., C. Ravanelli Guidotti, A. Fanfani, La donazione Galeazzo Cora: ceramiche dal medioevo al XIX secolo, Milano, 1985, p. 182, cat 451
A wet-drug jar from the same set.
Biscontini Ugolini, Grazia (Ed), I Vasi da farmacia nella collezione Bayer: Pharmacy jars in the Bayer Collection, Milan, 1997, cat. 9, pp. 60-61 NAL Pressmark: ND.98.0433
Another jar of this set, almost identical to our, but with incription: 'LOGH SANUM'.
Berti, F., The Montelupo Ceramics: from sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, Florence, 1986, pl.87.
A similar pair of Montelupo albarelli from (Museo Nazionale of Florence) is illustrated.
R. Drey, Apothecary Jars: pharmaceutical pottery and porcelain in Europe and the East 1150-1850, London, 1978, p. 34, fig 6A
A similar drug-jar from the same set is illustrated.
Chompret, D.J., Répertoire de la majolique Italienne, Milan 1986 (2nd edition), fig. 525, p. 67
A similar drug-jar from the same set is illustrated.
Attribution Note
Stated by Cora, 1973 to be from Florentine Zone (see Bibl.Ref.)
Subjects depicted
Flower (stylised)
Collection code
CER
