Albarello drug jar for Meuse's Syrup of French Lavender

Made:
1601-1800 in Italy
Albarello vase, 17th or 18th century Italian Albarello vase, 17th or 18th century Italian Albarello vase, 17th or 18th century Italian Left hand side - A42624, Albarello vase, 18th century Italian

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Albarello vase, 17th or 18th century Italian
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Albarello vase, 17th or 18th century Italian
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Albarello vase, 17th or 18th century Italian
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Left hand side - A42624, Albarello vase, 18th century Italian
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Albarello vase, 17th or 18th century Italian, blue and white maiolica, scene of monk with vision of crucifixion, used for Mesue's Cassidony syrup

The jar on the left hand side was used to store Sciroppo di Stecade di Mesue, translated from Latin as “Mesue’s Syrup of French Lavender”. Honey was infused with lavender and was taken to treat disorders of the brain and nerves, including paralysis, epilepsy, spasms, tremors and pain. Mesue (777-857 CE) was the European name for Yuhanna Ibn Masawayh, a prominent Christian physician who wrote in Arabic. ‘Mesue’ was also the pseudonym of a pharmaceutical writer.

St Francis of Assisi (c. 1181-1226) is shown on the drug jar receiving the stigmata from heaven. His stigmata, which are said to have appeared in 1224, were the first recorded instance of the phenomenon. He is believed to have received the stigmata in recognition of the difficulty of setting up his religious order, the Franciscans. The jar is shown with a similar example for Mesue’s Syrup of French Lavender (A42624).

Details

Category:
Medical Ceramic-ware
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A42625
Materials:
whole, earthenware (tin-glazed), blue and white
Measurements:
overall: 262 mm 110 mm, 1.08 kg
type:
drug jar
credit:
Loan, Wellcome Trust