Reproduction
Object numberRCSSC/C 107
CollectionSpecial collections
CategoryCeramics
Object nameDrug jars
DescriptionDelft ware dry drug jar, Holland, early 18th century.
Cylindrical jar with the inscription 'O PHILON:ROM:' set in a cartouche decorated with flowers; two peacocks and a basket of fruit above, and below, a cherub head with wings. Blue decoration on a white ground
The abbreviated Latin inscription refers to Philonium Romanum ointment, a compound originally ascribed to the Greco-Roman physician Philon of Tarsus and used for the treatment of colic, among other things. The original recipe included 'the red hair of a boy whose blood had been shed on the fields of Mercury', but by the 17th century the principal active ingredient was opium. In the mid-18th century the recipe was altered to include syrup of poppies in place of honey, and with this change the medicine was known as Philonium Londinense.
This peacock cartouche design is typical of Dutch drug jars produced around this time. The small inverted recess in the middle of the cartouche is also typical of Dutch jars, and allows for the letter indicating the drug preparation, e.g. ‘s.’ for syrupus, or ‘u.’ unguentum.
Production date 1700 - 1740
, Holland
bequeathed
Physical Location
LocationNot on public display: contact museum for access conditions
Physical Information
Physical descriptionCylindrical tin-glazed ceramic jar. Glazing loss to foot and rim; the foot is also chipped.
Materialceramic
O / PHILON:ROM:
Dimensions
jar height: 180 mm
