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LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseSyrup jar used for Aqua Scorzonarie (Viper's Grass Water) from
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Syrup jar used for Aqua Acorzonarie, from Facunza of Venice
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Syrup jar used for Aqua Scorzonarie (Viper's Grass Water) from possibly Rome, blue and white, Italy, 1620-1730
The words Aqua Scorzonarie painted on the front of this jar translate from Latin as “Viper’s Grass Water”. Scorzonera is a plant of the daisy family with purple-brown edible roots and is commonly called ‘viper’s grass’. It would have formed the basis for this treatment when infused in water.
Drinking the liquid was said to help cure fevers by making the patient sweat out the infection. It was also recommended to treat ‘sadness’ and ‘passions and tremblings of the heart’.
Details
- Category:
- Medical Ceramic-ware
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A631886
- Materials:
- pottery, glazed blue on white ground
- Measurements:
-
overall: 356 mm x 334 mm x 296 mm, 4.1kg
- type:
- syrup jar
