Bottle, originally for Evian water, containing water from the medicinal well of the temple of Asklepios (Aesculapius) at Epidomos (Epidaurus), Greece, collected in 1930
The typed label pasted to the side of the bottle on the right gives us its source – the well at the temple of Asklepios at Epidaurus, Greece. Asklepios was the Greco-Roman god of healing and medicine. At the temple, those experiencing illness were cured in their dreams by the god as they slept, or had their dreams interpreted to get a treatment that would cure them. This was known as incubation.
Epidaurus, in southern Greece, was one of the most famous sites of a temple dedicated to Asklepios. Deserted since the 700s CE, the ruins can still be visited today.
The bottle was collected by Captain P Johnston-Saint, one of Henry Wellcome’s collecting agents. The water is shown here with a similar example collected from the temple of Asklepios at Athens (A79498).
Details
- Category:
- Ethnography and Folk Medicine
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A79498
- Materials:
- bottle, glass, pale green and stopper, cork
- type:
- medicinal water and bottles, folk medicine (general), pharmacy (glassware) bottles, folk medicine (general), medicinal water and pharmacy (glassware)
- taxonomy:
-
- furnishing and equipment
- container - receptacle
- vessel
- credit:
- Loan, Wellcome Trust
