Obtained from the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, was used for centuries to relieve pain and produce sleep. By the 17th - 19th centuries, one particularly preparation had become a famous European medicine: laudanum, basically an alcoholic mixture of opium. Laudanum was wildly popular and was used for pain, coughing, diarrhea and sleeplessness.
Morphine, cocaine, heroin and opium all passed through legitimate Western medicine, while arsenic appeared in everything from medicinal preparations to cosmetics and infamous poisons. Substances now associated with addiction, criminalization and danger were once encountered in the respectable world of physicians, pharmacists and apothecaries.
The porcelain itself is marked Limoges, France. Limoges is a celebrated porcelain-producing region in central France. Its rise began after deposits of kaolin, the white clay essential to true hard-paste porcelain, were discovered nearby in the 18th century. By around 1830, Limoges had overtaken Paris as France's principal center for privately manufactured porcelain.
Details
Origin: Limoges, France
Date: Mid-20th century
Material: Glazed porcelain with gilt decoration
Inscription: Opium
Features: Removable fitted lid with gilt finial; gilt rim and base; marked underside
Dimensions:Approx. 5.5 inch L × 3 inch W
Condition: Very good vintage condition. Please review photographs carefully.
