Art

Panorama of the Army of the Cumberland

The National Museum of American History is not an art museum. But works of art fill its collections and testify to the vital place of art in everyday American life. The ceramics collections hold hundreds of examples of American and European art glass and pottery. Fashion sketches, illustrations, and prints are part of the costume collections. Donations from ethnic and cultural communities include many homemade religious ornaments, paintings, and figures. The Harry T Peters "America on Stone" collection alone comprises some 1,700 color prints of scenes from the 1800s. The National Quilt Collection is art on fabric. And the tools of artists and artisans are part of the Museum's collections, too, in the form of printing plates, woodblock tools, photographic equipment, and potters' stamps, kilns, and wheels.

Topic: Pharmacy

Albarello

This albarello has a yellow baroque shield framing the image of a saint. In the saint’s left hand is a cross and a palm frond. In his right hand the saint is holding the leash of a dog (possibly a lamb).
Description
This albarello has a yellow baroque shield framing the image of a saint. In the saint’s left hand is a cross and a palm frond. In his right hand the saint is holding the leash of a dog (possibly a lamb). The palm frond symbolizes the saint was a martyr, and the inclusion of the dog or lamb points to a variety of saints associated with healing and animals including Saint Roch, Saint Hubert of Liege, Saint Catherine of Siena, or Saint Agnes.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
18th century
ID Number
1991.0664.0572
catalog number
M-05784
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 496
catalog number
1991.0664.0572

Vng*Refrig*Cal*

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
18th Century
ID Number
1991.0664.0704
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-05916
collector/donor number
SAP 628
catalog number
1991.0664.0704.01
1991.0664.0704.02

Apothecary Jar: CRUD

This widemouthed blown glass jar has a flattened collar and an applied round foot. The jar is decorated with a baked enamel white cartouche framed by blue stylized vines and topped by a yellow crown.
Description
This widemouthed blown glass jar has a flattened collar and an applied round foot. The jar is decorated with a baked enamel white cartouche framed by blue stylized vines and topped by a yellow crown. Marked CRUD/ PP it bears two alchemical symbol for Antimony and the abbreviation for prepared. The jar is pictured on page 18 in the Squibb Ancient Pharmacy Catalogue.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
17th-18th century
ID Number
1991.0664.0159
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-05307
1991.0664.0159
collector/donor number
SAP 16

Apothecary Bottle, SPIR CORN CERV RECTIT

This square-shaped bottle is marked SPIR CORN CERV RECTIT.Currently not on view
Description
This square-shaped bottle is marked SPIR CORN CERV RECTIT.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
18th century
ID Number
1991.0664.0254
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-05402
collector/donor number
SAP 111

Prescription Label, Apotheke von C. Lesaulnier in Niederbreisig

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria.Early labels were plain and without adornment.
Description (Brief)
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria.
Early labels were plain and without adornment. Later embellishments included decorative borders, images of animals such as stags, lions, or elephants associated with the name of the apothecary.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.1242
catalog number
1991.0664.1242
accession number
1991.0664

Apothecary Jar

This vase-shaped drug jar has a turned wooden lid painted red. The blue and yellow baroque-style baked enamel label has been left blank. for the apothecary. Containers with blank labels could be filled with different ingredients depending on the apothecary's needs.
Description
This vase-shaped drug jar has a turned wooden lid painted red. The blue and yellow baroque-style baked enamel label has been left blank. for the apothecary. Containers with blank labels could be filled with different ingredients depending on the apothecary's needs. When the contents of the jars were replaced, apothecary would write the appropriate name in the medallion.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
18th century
ID Number
1991.0664.0467
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-05616
collector/donor number
SAP 328
catalog number
1991.0664.0467.01
1991.0664.0467.02

Candlestick

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.0964
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06360

SEMEN ANETHI

"SEMEN ANETHI" also known as Dill seeds has for centuries been used as a culinary ingredient. Dill is also used medicinally for jaundice, headache and lack of appetite.
Description (Brief)
"SEMEN ANETHI" also known as Dill seeds has for centuries been used as a culinary ingredient. Dill is also used medicinally for jaundice, headache and lack of appetite. George Urdang author of the The Squibb Ancient Catalogue attributes the containers 1991.0664.0760 through 1991.0664.0825 to Hanau in the late 18th century based on the floral design surrounding the medallion and the initials "HN" on the bottom of many of the jars in the series. However, in a letter to museum curators dated August 1983, the pharmaceutical historian Wolfgang-Hagen Hein wrote that the containers without initials and those marked "FH" were made in Florsheim in the German state of Hesse twenty-three miles southwest of Hanau.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1790-1810
Date made
1775 - 1799
ID Number
1991.0664.0786
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 710
catalog number
1991.0664.0786

drug jar

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.1098.12
catalog number
1991.0664.1098.12
accession number
1991.0664

Carolus Clusius

A portrait of Carolus Clusius (also know as Charles de l'Escluse). Born in Arras in 1526, Clusius was a Flemish doctor and horticulturists. He was prefect of the imperial medical garden in Vienna under Maximilian II and professor at the University of Leiden.
Description
A portrait of Carolus Clusius (also know as Charles de l'Escluse). Born in Arras in 1526, Clusius was a Flemish doctor and horticulturists. He was prefect of the imperial medical garden in Vienna under Maximilian II and professor at the University of Leiden. He helped create the Hortus Academicus, one of the earliest formal botanical garden.
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Clusius, Carolus
ID Number
1991.0664.0051
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06226
collector/donor number
SAP 919

Coconut

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.1031.02
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
1991.0664.1031.02

Prescription Label, Hirsch Apotheke bei C. Bengardt in Huckeswagen

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria.Early labels were plain and without adornment.
Description (Brief)
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria.
Early labels were plain and without adornment. Later embellishments included decorative borders, images of animals such as stags, lions, or elephants associated with the name of the apothecary.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.1252
catalog number
1991.0664.1252
accession number
1991.0664

Apothecary Bottle, SP LILLIOR CONV

The baked enamel label of this drug jar is marked SP LILLIOR CONV in red and black. LILLIOR CONV or Convallium Lilliorum is the plant Lilly of the Valley. It has been used as a cardiac stimulant similar to digitalis.
Description (Brief)
The baked enamel label of this drug jar is marked SP LILLIOR CONV in red and black. LILLIOR CONV or Convallium Lilliorum is the plant Lilly of the Valley. It has been used as a cardiac stimulant similar to digitalis. It was also used for gout, as a diuretic, laxative and antispasmodic. If ingested the plant can be very toxic.
This blown and molded square-shaped bottle was made for the Moor Apothecary in Mainz, Germany in the Rhine River Valley. According to George Urdang, author of The Squibb Ancient Pharmacy Catalogue the initials "CR" within the blue medallion at the bottom of the jar stand for the shop’s owner Casper Ritter. The small black figure to the left of the medallion is a moor, the symbol of the Moor Apothecary.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
18th century
ID Number
1991.0664.0222
catalog number
M-05370
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 79

MACIS BL GE

This is a straight walled pewter drug canister with a lid. The body has two round handles that are soldered to the body, and the lid has a round flattened finial. The engraved decoration on the canister creates a cartouche of leaves and scrolls topped by a crown.
Description
This is a straight walled pewter drug canister with a lid. The body has two round handles that are soldered to the body, and the lid has a round flattened finial. The engraved decoration on the canister creates a cartouche of leaves and scrolls topped by a crown. The center of the cartouche is inscribed with the merchant’s mark, a reversed numeral four incorporated with the initials G H M. Above the cartouche the canister is marked “MACIS: BIL: GE.” Mace or Macis is the dried red outer coating of the Nutmeg seed. In addition to its use as a flavoring for foods Mace was used as a narcotic, astringent, aromatic tonic and to curb diarrhea.
The three hallmarks inside the lid are not very legible. With the aid of a high-powered Leica microscope it is possible to see what appears to be two identical maker marks and the town mark. The maker mark is a horse standing on three legs carrying a banner within a scalloped shield. The initials directly above the horse may possibly be I. G. H.
The town mark is a scalloped shield with three towers, the tallest in the middle. All three towers have long vertical windows. The area below the towers is not legible. Both the makers and town marks look very similar to marks used in the eastern Germanic towns and cities of the 18th century.
George Urdang identified the material used to make the canister as heavy tin which may be another term for pewter.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.0893
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06103
collector/donor number
SAP 815
catalog number
1991.0664.0893

syrup jar

This syrup jar has an applied strap handle and the blue spout is supported by a yellow entwined strap. Wavy green ribbons flank a pale blue and green wreath on a white glazed background.Currently not on view
Description
This syrup jar has an applied strap handle and the blue spout is supported by a yellow entwined strap. Wavy green ribbons flank a pale blue and green wreath on a white glazed background.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
17th Century
ID Number
1991.0664.0539
catalog number
M-05751
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 463

CASTOR EUM

The label applied in the cold paint technique is marked in black and red CASTOR Eum. The jar is blown green glass and is covered with paper secured with string. The late historian J.
Description
The label applied in the cold paint technique is marked in black and red CASTOR Eum. The jar is blown green glass and is covered with paper secured with string. The late historian J. Worth Estes, former professor of pharmacology at Boston University describes Castoreum as a fatty material from the glands lying between the anus and external glands of the Russian beaver. It was used as a nerve tonic, an antiemetic, and an emmenagogue to hasten menstruation. Today Castoreum is still used in perfumes. The jar contains two folded paper packets.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
18th century
ID Number
1991.0664.0442
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-05591
collector/donor number
SAP 303
catalog number
1991.0664.0442

Prescription Label, Apotheke zu Wolfhagen von Carl Leister

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria. Early labels were plain and without adornment.
Description (Brief)
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria. Early labels were plain and without adornment. Later embellishments included decorative borders, images of animals such as stags, lions, or elephants associated with the name of the apothecary.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.1115
catalog number
1991.0664.1115
accession number
1991.0664

AMMON: MURLAT

This conical-shaped, wooden drug jar and lid has an ivory-colored shield which reads "AMMON:/ MURLAT:" The paper label glued to the interior of the lid is very dirty, and is illegible.
Description
This conical-shaped, wooden drug jar and lid has an ivory-colored shield which reads "AMMON:/ MURLAT:" The paper label glued to the interior of the lid is very dirty, and is illegible. Containers 1991.0664.0889 through 892 appear to be from the same apothecary.
Ammon Murlat is used as an expectorant for acute cases of bronchitis.
The Deutsche Apotheken-Museum in Heidelberg, Germany has similar containers in their collection.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
1991.0664.0890
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 812
catalog number
1991.0664.0890.01
1991.0664.0890.02

Basilius Besler

Portrait of Basil Bressler (1561-1629), an important apothecary and botanist in Nuremberg. Copper plate engraving from Bressler, Hortus Eystettensis (Nuremberg, 1613).Currently not on view
Description
Portrait of Basil Bressler (1561-1629), an important apothecary and botanist in Nuremberg. Copper plate engraving from Bressler, Hortus Eystettensis (Nuremberg, 1613).
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Besler, Basilivs
ID Number
1991.0664.0074
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06200
collector/donor number
SAP 893

Mortar

Gothic-style bronze mortar with flared mouth and four vertical ribs in a "tears" pattern extending out from just below the neck to the bottom of the mortar. Urdang attributes this mortar to 15th century France.Currently not on view
Description
Gothic-style bronze mortar with flared mouth and four vertical ribs in a "tears" pattern extending out from just below the neck to the bottom of the mortar. Urdang attributes this mortar to 15th century France.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.0096
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-05649
collector/donor number
SAP 361

ESS ANTISCORB

This blown and molded square–shaped glass bottle has a narrow neck and rounded shoulders. The bottle has a white baked enamel label framed by a baroque–style blue and yellow cartouche. The label reads ESS ANTISCORB in black text, with the first initial of each word in red.
Description
This blown and molded square–shaped glass bottle has a narrow neck and rounded shoulders. The bottle has a white baked enamel label framed by a baroque–style blue and yellow cartouche. The label reads ESS ANTISCORB in black text, with the first initial of each word in red. The jar would have contained Essence of Antiscorbutic. Antiscorbutic was used to combat scurvy, so the essence likely would have been made by steeping citrus fruits in alcohol.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
17th-18th century
ID Number
1991.0664.0320
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-05469.01
collector/donor number
SAP 178
catalog number
1991.0664.0320

Prescription Label, Apotheke von C. Lesaulnier in Niederbreisig

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria.Early labels were plain and without adornment.
Description (Brief)
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria.
Early labels were plain and without adornment. Later embellishments included decorative borders, images of animals such as stags, lions, or elephants associated with the name of the apothecary.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.1243
catalog number
1991.0664.1243
accession number
1991.0664

syrup jar

White and cobalt blue tin-glazed syrup jar with a flared foot and an applied spout and handle. The gold and black lettering inside the cartouche was applied with the cold painting technique.
Description
White and cobalt blue tin-glazed syrup jar with a flared foot and an applied spout and handle. The gold and black lettering inside the cartouche was applied with the cold painting technique. The circumference of the cartouche is embellished with a variety of decorative motifs including a basket of flowers, flanked by two peacocks, scrolls, tassels, swags of flowers and the head of an angel.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
18th Century
ID Number
1991.0664.0831
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06043
collector/donor number
SAP 755

Prescription Label, Adler Apotheke von F. W. Weber

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria. Early labels were plain and without adornment.
Description (Brief)
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria. Early labels were plain and without adornment. Later embellishments included decorative borders, images of animals such as stags, lions, or elephants associated with the name of the apothecary.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1840
ID Number
1991.0664.1168
catalog number
1991.0664.1168
accession number
1991.0664

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