Alembic and cucurbit in blue glass, from Isfahan, Iran. Early 20th century. These two pieces were collected in Isfahan in the summer of 1975 from Azad Manesh, an alchemist and physician who practices in the Islamic tradition. Thus they are amongst the very few pieces of this type of apparatus whose origin is certain and recorded. When in use, the cucurbit was wrapped in clay, though this has now crumbled away. A photo in the Technical File shows Azad Manesh at work.