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Pharmacy jar: C.2198-1928

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An image of Pharmacy jar
An image of Pharmacy jar
Current Location: Gallery 27 (Glaisher)

Maker(s)

Maker: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Maiolica spouted pharmacy jar, painted in blue, green, yellow, and orange with Minerva holding a spear and the Palladium.

Spouted pharmacy jar. Tin-glazed thickly overall. Painted in blue, green, yellow, and orange.
Bulbous body with cylindrical neck and carinated rim, straight, upward-tilting spout springing from the shoulder, scroll handle of D-section, and circular spreading foot with a knop at its junction with the body.
On the front, Minerva, holding a spear in her right hand and the Palladium in her left, stands beside a tree; on each side of her there is a temple on a mound, with hills and smaller buildings in the distance. Above her on the spout, there is a lozenge surrounded by foliage, and below her, the name of the contents `MEL.VIOLATVM', between horizontal bands. The rim, foot, and knop are decorated with scalloped borders, that on the foot incomplete.

Notes

History note: Countess Howard de Walden; Thomas Sutton, Eastbourne, from whom purchased in 1900 by Dr J.W.L. Glaisher * 45/- (Typed Cat. 1090).

Legal notes

Dr J.W.L. Glaisher Bequest

Measurements and weight

Height: 26.0 cm
Width: 21.7 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr

Dating

17th Century
Circa 1600 - 1650

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of high-temperature colours ( in blue, green, yellow, and orange)
Rim Diameter 11.3 cm
Foot Diameter 11.6 cm

Materials used in production

Tin-glaze
Earthenware

Techniques used in production

Tin-glazing : Tin-glazed thickly overall. Painted in blue, green, yellow, and orange.

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: MEL.VIOLATVM
  • Type: Inscription

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.2198-1928
Primary reference Number: 73213

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 30 April 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Pharmacy jar" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/73213 Accessed: 2025-12-05 07:46:27

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/73213 |title=Pharmacy jar |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 07:46:27|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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