Sophie von der Goltz
Head of Sale
Lot 106
A large Nevers faience apothecary vase and cover, dated 1709
2 July 2019, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£3,000 - £4,000
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Sebastian Kuhn
Department Director
Nette Megens
Head of Department, Director
A large Nevers faience apothecary vase and cover, dated 1709
Painted in blue outlined in dark manganese with two entwined snakes enclosing the drug label 'THERIAVA/ Androm./ 1709' heightened in cold gilding, surrounded by flower sprigs, birds and insects, the reverse with a similar snake cartouche enclosing birds, insects and a large flower spray, all between line borders with pendent foliate scrollwork motifs, the footrim with four oval panels painted with a snake against on a blue-ground band reserved with foliage and scrollwork, the domed cover similarly decorated with a ball finial, 56.5cm high (finial restuck, restored flat chip to one side) (2)
Footnotes
Theriaca was an electuary reputedly introduced into medical prractice by Nicander of Colophon, a Greek poet and priest of Apollo, in the second century B.C. as an antidote against poisons, especially snake bite. Theriac of Andromachus contained seventy-three ingredients, the most important of which was the flesh of vipers (R. Drey, Apothecary Jars (1978), p. 234).
