Pharmacy Jar
Medieval healing compounds commonly included herbs and spices, many of which could be grown and prepared at home. Toward the later Middle Ages, patients increasingly looked to apothecaries, who mixed medicines in their shops from an array of ingredients stored in glazed ceramic jars. These components sometimes required processing before mixing. For example, apothecaries relied on mortars and pestles to grind hard substances like nuts and seeds into powders that would dissolve in suspension. Manuals and recipe books were integral to medicinal concoction and dosage.
Artwork Details
- Title: Pharmacy Jar
- Date: second half 15th century
- Geography: Made in probably Manises, Valencia, Spain
- Culture: Spanish
- Medium: Tin-glazed earthenware
- Dimensions: Overall: 11 3/4 in. (29.8 cm)
- Classification: Ceramics
- Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1956
- Object Number: 56.171.88
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters
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Spanish
second half 15th century
Spanish
ca. 1430
Spanish
1427–38
Spanish
1425–50
Spanish
1435–75
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