What did pharmacies store inside these jars?

Apothecaries used these vessels to hold dried herbs, powdered medicines, sticky resins, and liquid syrups essential for medical treatments. Each jar kept its contents dry, secure, and easily identifiable through painted labels. Larger glass bottles and carboys held bulk liquids and tinctures behind the counter or served as prominent window displays to advertise the apothecary trade to the street.

How do I identify a wet drug jar?

Wet drug jars feature specific structural elements designed for pouring liquid medicines and syrups. They frequently incorporate a handle, a small pouring spout, or a wide neck suited for viscous contents. In contrast, dry drug containers like albarelli have straight sides and wide mouths intended for powders, roots, and solid ointments that required a spatula for retrieval.

Are these glass and ceramic jars fragile?

Hand-blown glass and historic earthenware require careful handling due to their age and material composition. Tin-glazed ceramics can develop chips along the rims and base if bumped against hard surfaces. Displaying these pieces away from high-traffic edges and sudden temperature changes protects the fragile glass bodies and historic painted surfaces from accidental damage.

How can I tell the age of a pharmacy jar?

Dating relies on examining the material, manufacturing technique, and stylistic markers such as lettering styles and glaze composition. Seventeenth and eighteenth-century pieces often display tin-glazed earthenware bodies with hand-painted blue and white or polychrome drug labels. Nineteenth and twentieth-century examples shift towards moulded glass bottles, rich coloured glass like Bristol blue and amber, and industrial ceramic forms with distinct maker marks or paper labels.

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Antique Pharmacy Jar

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An antique pharmacy jar holds centuries of medicine in glass, ceramic, and tin-glazed earthenware, offering a direct link to historic apothecary practices.

18th century

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Italian Pharmacy Wet Drug Jug & Cover 18th-century Tin-glaze Polychrome Syr Alth

From Artsonline

£499

3+ MONTHS AGO

jugs

Italian Majolica Albarello Pharmacy Wet Drug Jar 18th/19th-century Faience Large

18th century

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Italian Majolica Albarello Pharmacy Wet Drug Jar 18th/19th-century Faience Large

From Artsonline

£699

3+ MONTHS AGO

ceramics

Large Italian Majolica Albarello Pharmacy Wet Drug Jar 18th/19th-century Faience

18th century

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Large Italian Majolica Albarello Pharmacy Wet Drug Jar 18th/19th-century Faience

From Artsonline

£750

3+ MONTHS AGO

ceramics

Set of 8 1930’S Scandinavian Painted Chemist Jars

1920 - 1940

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Set of 8 1930’S Scandinavian Painted Chemist Jars

From Debenham Antiques Ltd

£550

3+ MONTHS AGO

miscellaneous

Samuel Alcock and Co Honey Apothecary Jar, C. 1840.

19th century

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Samuel Alcock and Co Honey Apothecary Jar, C. 1840.

From Philip Carrol Antiques

£1,200

3+ MONTHS AGO

ceramics

19th century

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An Early 19thc Large Glass Chemist Jar

From Mike Melody Antiques

£230

3+ MONTHS AGO

glass

Early 20th Century Majolica Water Vessel.

1900 - 1920

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Early 20th Century Majolica Water Vessel.

From Youngs Antiques

£300

3+ MONTHS AGO

ceramics

19th century

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Set of Three Box Wood 19th Century Antique Chemist Jars

From Miles Griffiths Antiques Ltd

£440

3+ MONTHS AGO

miscellaneous

Rare Pair 17thc Italian Savona Majolica Albarello Drug Pharmacy Jar Bottles

17th century

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Rare Pair 17thc Italian Savona Majolica Albarello Drug Pharmacy Jar Bottles

From Artsonline

£690

3+ MONTHS AGO

ceramics

Large Early 20th Century Apothecary Carboy

1900 - 1920

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Large Early 20th Century Apothecary Carboy

From Kendall House Antiques Ltd.

£400

3+ MONTHS AGO

glass

Some nineteenth-century glass jars still carry mysterious abbreviations for arrowroot and secret balsams, preserving the forgotten handwriting of the Victorian chemist.

A Faience Apothecary Ceramic Chemist Bottle Inscribed: Aq Di Greedri

19th century

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A Faience Apothecary Ceramic Chemist Bottle Inscribed: Aq Di Greedri

From Bushells Antiques

£795

3+ MONTHS AGO

ceramics

C. 1850 Large Pair Italian Delft Faience Apothecary Pharmacy Albarello Drug Jars

19th century

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C. 1850 Large Pair Italian Delft Faience Apothecary Pharmacy Albarello Drug Jars

From Artsonline

£495

3+ MONTHS AGO

ceramics

C. 1709 South Italian 'Naples' Majolica Blue & White Albarello Drug Pharmacy Jar

18th century

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C. 1709 South Italian 'Naples' Majolica Blue & White Albarello Drug Pharmacy Jar

From Artsonline

£395

3+ MONTHS AGO

ceramics

C. 1730 Italian Majolica Nove Waisted Blue & White Albarello Drug Pharmacy Jar

18th century

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C. 1730 Italian Majolica Nove Waisted Blue & White Albarello Drug Pharmacy Jar

From Artsonline

£485

3+ MONTHS AGO

ceramics

18th century

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Rare Early 18th-century Italian Savona Majolica Apothecary Pharmacy Wet Drug Jar

From Artsonline

£750

3+ MONTHS AGO

ceramics

Pair of Antique Tincture Bottles, English, Glass Apothecary Jars, Georgian, 1800

18th century

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Pair of Antique Tincture Bottles, English, Glass Apothecary Jars, Georgian, 1800

From London Fine Antiques

£325

3+ MONTHS AGO

glass

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Antique Pharmacy Jar

Italian Pharmacy Wet Drug Jug & Cover 18th-century Tin-glaze Polychrome Syr Alth

Italian Majolica Albarello Pharmacy Wet Drug Jar 18th/19th-century Faience Large

Large Italian Majolica Albarello Pharmacy Wet Drug Jar 18th/19th-century Faience

Set of 8 1930’S Scandinavian Painted Chemist Jars

Samuel Alcock and Co Honey Apothecary Jar, C. 1840.

An Early 19thc Large Glass Chemist Jar

Early 20th Century Majolica Water Vessel.

Set of Three Box Wood 19th Century Antique Chemist Jars

Rare Pair 17thc Italian Savona Majolica Albarello Drug Pharmacy Jar Bottles

Large Early 20th Century Apothecary Carboy

A Faience Apothecary Ceramic Chemist Bottle Inscribed: Aq Di Greedri

C. 1850 Large Pair Italian Delft Faience Apothecary Pharmacy Albarello Drug Jars

C. 1709 South Italian 'Naples' Majolica Blue & White Albarello Drug Pharmacy Jar

C. 1730 Italian Majolica Nove Waisted Blue & White Albarello Drug Pharmacy Jar

Rare Early 18th-century Italian Savona Majolica Apothecary Pharmacy Wet Drug Jar

Pair of Antique Tincture Bottles, English, Glass Apothecary Jars, Georgian, 1800

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