Pharmacy furniture with group of ceramics Tuscan Manufacturing

The decoration of the vases with refined ramages friezes and palmette, brightly coloured in blue and turquoise against a white background, is inspired by Delft porcelain. Introduced to Doccia by the painter-decorator from Nevers, Nicolas Letorneau, who was called by Marquis Carlo Ginori in 1740 to instruct the local workers of the Manifattura.
 
The oldest group is composed of vases with light blue colours which feature a medallion in the central part bearing the characteristic banded infant, a symbol of the abandoned newborns. Interesting are the inscriptions on elegant scrolls indicating the names of the most common medicines of the period, contained in the vases. These include magnesium carbonate, licorice, absinthe extract, linden, soda sulphate, absinthe, gentian, ursine grapes, magnesium sulphate.

A number of drug jars on display are four unusual specimens, which may be classified as for “chimney” use rather than “pharmacy”, since they are characterised by a body that shrinks toward their base and neck, as well as a dome-shaped lid with a knob. The shape is inspired by Chinese fashion with a decoration of jagged leaves and scrolls that create an elegant lace pattern. They can be dated to the early 19th century.