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ID #SA1235733
FOR SALE
£160
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An Antique Treen Pill Silverer - With Silver Lining
For sale by Opus Antiques
for sale €187     $203
£160
Opus Antiques

Opus Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Oct 2014
Browse dealers 90 items
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    Antique treen, boxes & decorative georgian items
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Id #SA1235733
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An Antique Treen Pill Silverer - With Silver Lining

19th century
For Sale by Opus Antiques
Description

This is a great example of a 19th century pill silverer

Turned from boxwood with a threaded lid. Both the condition and colour/patina are very good. Note they usually have stems, this one has a flat base and is smaller than most. It also has a lot of the silver inside it, showing it has been used.

Pill silverers were used once the pills had been formed and dried, they were dampened with mucilage of accia and mixed with silver leaf. The spherical pill silverer was then shaken in a rotary movement until all the pills were coated in silver. C1850/60.

It only measures 8cm h x 5.2cm w.

Declaration

Opus Antiques has dated this Antique Treen Pill Silverer to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1235733
Dealers Notes

Own a piece of history

Description
This is a great example of a 19th century pill silverer

Turned from boxwood with a threaded lid. Both the condition and colour/patina are very good. Note they usually have stems, this one has a flat base and is smaller than most. It also has a lot of the silver inside it, showing it has been used.

“
Pill silverers were used once the pills had been formed and dried, they were dampened with mucilage of accia and mixed with silver leaf.
Opus Antiques

The spherical pill silverer was then shaken in a rotary movement until all the pills were coated in silver. C1850/60.

It only measures 8cm h x 5.2cm w.

Date of Manufacture

Opus Antiques has dated this Antique Treen Pill Silverer to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1235733
Opus Antiques
Opus Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Oct 2014

Antique treen, boxes & decorative georgian items

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Opus Antiques Profile Page

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A smooth, egg-shaped turned wooden antique pill silverer featuring a central joining seam and a warm polished grain finish.
1 / 4
Archive I A smooth, egg-shaped turned wooden antique pill silverer featuring a central joining seam and a warm polished grain finish.

An Antique Treen Pill Silverer - With Silver Lining

Archive II A smooth, egg-shaped turned wooden antique pill silverer featuring a central joining seam and a warm polished grain finish. View II
Archive III A smooth, egg-shaped turned wooden antique pill silverer featuring a central joining seam and a warm polished grain finish. View III
Archive IV A smooth, egg-shaped turned wooden antique pill silverer featuring a central joining seam and a warm polished grain finish. View IV
Enlarged Archival View
Opus Antiques

Opus Antiques
Telephone 07941 285 532
Location
North Devon
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/opusantiques
Verified Since Oct 2014
Items For Sale 90
Items Sold 2,379
Opus Antiques
Opus Antiques
Verified Since Oct 2014
View Dealer Info
Location: North Devon, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/opusantiques
Verified
Oct 2014
For Sale
90
Sold
2,379
A smooth, egg-shaped turned wooden antique pill silverer featuring a central joining seam and a warm polished grain finish.
An Antique Treen Pill Silverer - with silver lining
Ref: SA1235733
A smooth, egg-shaped turned wooden antique pill silverer featuring a central joining seam and a warm polished grain finish.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectMedical Antiques
  • Period19th century
  • StyleVictorian
  • MaterialBoxwood, Wood, Silver Foil
  • ColourWarm Brown
  • MotifsTurned egg-shaped body, Central threaded junction, Incised decorative line, Smooth polished surface

FAQs

A treen pill silverer is a specialized turned wooden vessel used by eighteenth and nineteenth-century apothecaries to coat pills with silver or gold leaf, masking bitter tastes and preserving the contents.

These vessels were typically hand-turned from dense hardwoods such as boxwood or fruitwood, often featuring an internal lining of silver foil to prevent moist pills from sticking during rotation.

Authentic period examples exhibit subtle hand-turned lathe markings, natural timber shrinkage resulting in a slightly oval cross-section, authentic interior silvering traces, and an aged surface patina.

These compact sculptural objects are frequently displayed on bookshelves, mantelpieces, or inside glass cabinets alongside other tactile wooden artifacts and historical curiosities.

Dust the item regularly using a soft, dry cloth, avoid exposure to direct heat sources or high humidity, and apply a thin layer of natural beeswax polish sparingly to maintain the patination.
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