Lacquer box containing henna leaves, Iran, 1870-1920

Box, lacquer in shape of a barrel, detachable lid beautifully painted externally with bird and floral design, one third full of dried frizzled henna leaves, from Turkish pharmacy, Persian, 1870-1920

This ornately decorated box contains dried henna leaves. Henna leaves were mixed with boiling water to form a paste, which was used to treat skin conditions. The lacquer box and its contents were collected and brought back to the United Kingdom by one of Henry Wellcome’s agents from Persia – modern day Iran. His agents spent many years travelling the world and collecting field samples from different medical cultures.