This porcelain apothecary jar bears the traditional "Opium" designation once found on pharmacy containers used to identify medicinal ingredients before the age of modern pharmaceutical packaging. Produced by the renowned French ceramics manufacturer Sarreguemines.
For generations, labeled porcelain jars lined the shelves of pharmacies and dispensaries, storing compounds that ranged from everyday botanicals to powerful medicines. Opium, derived from the poppy, was once widely prescribed for pain relief, cough suppression, and sedation before twentieth-century regulations transformed its medical use.
Details
Maker: Sarreguemines
Origin: France
Date: Mid-20th Century
Material: Glazed porcelain with hand-applied decoration and gilt accents
Dimensions: Approximately 6¾ in. H × 3½ in. Diameter
Form: Lidded apothecary jar
Marked: Sarreguemines factory backstamp
Subject: Pharmacy • Medical History • Apothecary • French Ceramics
