Italian Montelupo Wet Drug Jar, Early 17th Century

Ref: W511

Archive item - not for sale

Italian Montelupo wet drug jar, early 17th century, in tin-glazed earthenware, decorated to the bulbous body with Persian palmettes in blue and orange, the area underneath the green spout with a scroll containing the words ‘SYO DI PVL L POD’O CONPOME’ (Polypodium vulgare) and a coat of arms, the foot and neck with bands in yellow, ochre and blue, the strap-handle in green and yellow. SOLD

Dimensions:

Height: 26 cm. (10 1/4in.)

Condition:

Restoration to the top of the spout, chip to foot

Notes:

Polypodium is a type of fern used as a medicinal herb since ancient times. It was recommended by the Greek physician and botanist Pedanius Dioscorides for chapped or dislocated hands, while polypodium glycyrrhiza (also known as liquorice fern) is used in Native American medicine to treat measles and coughs. 'Syo [...] Conpome' indicates that this jar would have contained a syrup compound made from the plant. The constriction just below the rim would have been used to tie a piece of parchment over the top of the jar with string to seal it off. In Renaissance Italy, pharmacies were run by local families or monastic orders, with jars often bearing a coat of arms indicating the owner.