Dispensing pot for white lead powder, Italy, 1771-1830

Italian pharmacy vase, early C19 polychrome maiolica, perhaps Ligurian, used for white lead powder

Second on the left of this image is an earthenware jar labelled “Pul Ceruss”, Italian for “Powder of White Lead”. The powder was prepared by suspending lead over vinegar, which was then heated by horse dung for three weeks. The powder was used to cool and dry the skin. Some chemical compounds of lead are poisonous. The jar, one of four shown here, was presented as a gift to the Wellcome collection on the previous owner’s death in 1932.