This hand-painted porcelain jar has the traditional "OPIUM" designation once used for preparations derived from the opium poppy. Jars of this type reflect a period when opium remained a common ingredient in legitimate medicine, prescribed for pain relief, cough suppression, and sedation long before modern pharmaceutical regulations transformed its use.
Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, porcelain apothecary jars were used to organize medicinal ingredients in pharmacies, dispensaries, and laboratories. Durable, easy to clean, and clearly labeled, they allowed pharmacists to identify substances quickly while protecting contents from dust and moisture.
Details
Origin: Europe
Date: Mid-20th Century (c. 1930s–1960s)
Material: Hand-painted porcelain
Dimensions: Approximately 5¾ in. H × 2¾ in. Diameter
Form: Lidded apothecary / pharmacy jar
Marked: Makers mark
Subject: Pharmacy • Medical History • Apothecary • Scientific Collectibles
