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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Large 18th C Delft Apothecary Jar

From Mytton Antiques - Jerrard Nares

£425

FOR SALE

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

FOR SALE

ceramics

19th century

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Antique Apothecary Jar

From Nikki Page Antiques

£950

FOR SALE

glass

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

FOR SALE

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

FOR SALE

glass

19th century

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Set of Three Box Wood 19th Century Antique Chemist Jars

From Miles Griffiths Antiques Ltd

£440

FOR SALE

miscellaneous

19th century

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Antique Apothecary Jar

From Nikki Page Antiques

£950

FOR SALE

glass

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

FOR SALE

ceramics

18th century

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

From Artsonline

£750

FOR SALE

ceramics

1900 - 1920

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Collection of 12 Apothecary Bottles

From Merchant House Antiques

£250

FOR SALE

glass

Object types recorded across these selections include cylindrical albarelli, handled wet drug jugs, mortar and pestle sets, and large display carboys.

Set of 29 Chemists Jars / Apothecary Jars

1900 - 1920

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Set of 29 Chemists Jars / Apothecary Jars

From Athey Antiques

£1,095

FOR SALE

glass

Pair of Victorian Apothecary Jar Table Lamps

19th century

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Pair of Victorian Apothecary Jar Table Lamps

From David Griffith Antiques

£1,150

FOR SALE

lighting

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

FOR SALE

ceramics

Rare Victorian Bristol Blue Glass White Label Apothecary Bottle, Circa 1890

19th century

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Rare Victorian Bristol Blue Glass White Label Apothecary Bottle, Circa 1890

From Julie Cartwright Antiques

£125

FOR SALE

glass

19th century

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Set of Five Glass Pharmacy Bottles

From Rue des Fontenelles

£250

FOR SALE

glass

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Antique Pharmacy Jar

Large 18th C Delft Apothecary Jar

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

Antique Apothecary Jar

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

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

Set of Three Box Wood 19th Century Antique Chemist Jars

Antique Apothecary Jar

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

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

Collection of 12 Apothecary Bottles

Set of 29 Chemists Jars / Apothecary Jars

Pair of Victorian Apothecary Jar Table Lamps

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

Rare Victorian Bristol Blue Glass White Label Apothecary Bottle, Circa 1890

Set of Five Glass Pharmacy Bottles

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