DELFTWARE Apothecaryand 
              Hygiene-Related Wares 
 
Storage, Apothecary, Syrup, and Ointment Pots 
 
 
H.: 14" (35.6 cm); 
Diam.: 12" (30.5 cm) 
 
BODY CLAY: Medium-grained buff. 
TIN GLAZE: White, with scattered 
pitting and yellowish glaze splashes 
(from another object during firing); 
slightly transparent on interior and with 
dense gray speckling. Overall, excluding 
upper edge and bottom. 
SHAPE: Thrown. Flat bottom. 
DECORATION: Painted. Arms of the 
Worshipful Society of Apothecaries 
with unicorn supporters and motto 
(dated) "OPI FER QVE PER ORBEM 
DICOR 1656" in reserve set against 
scrolling vine with flowers, fruit, and 
foliage. Borders composed of (painted) 
fluting, horizontal lines, and bands with 
dot clusters and lozenges. 
 
Probobly published' Lipski and Archer, Dated 
Delftware, no. 1593 ("Ownership unknown'). 
Ex colls.: Mrs. Radford, J. V Vizcarro; J, P 
Kassebaum. 
 
 
A 1617 Charter of Incorporation created the "Society of Apothecaries,"
one 
of only a few London guilds chartered as societies rather than companies,
and 
separated the London apothecaries from the Grocers' Company. The society
also 
was given the exclusive right (within seven miles of the city) to "make,
mix, com- 
pound, prepare, give, apply or administer any medicines." The College
of 
Heralds granted armorial bearings to the society in 1617, but it was not
until 
1620 that the apothecaries actually paid for them. The original grant reads:

 
      In a Shield azure, Apollo, the inventor of phisique, proper, with his

      heade Radiant, holding in his left hand a bowe and in his right 
      hande an Arow dor, supplanting a serpent argent, above the Shield 
      an Helme theruppon a mantle gules, doubled Argent, and for their 
      Creast uppon a Wreath of their Colours, a Rhynoceros [derived 
      from Albrecht Durer's 1515 woodcut] proper, supported by too 
      Unicorns or, armed and ungulated argent, uppon a Compartiment 
      to make the Atchievement compleat the motto, Opiferque per 
      orbem dicor.' 
 
   The motto is drawn from Ovid's Metamorphosis, in which Apollo describes

himself to Daphne: 
 
      The art of medicine is my discovery. I am called Help-Bringer through-

      out the world, and all the potency of herbs is given unto me.2 
 
   Large delftware pots with apothecaries' arms as well as apothecary tiles
bear- 
ing the arms (see no. D411) perhaps were used as shop signs: "2 window
potts" 
are listed with trade-related vessels in a 1666 London apothecary's shop
inven- 
tory.? The 1699 Pickleherring inventory includes an entry for "7 fine
window 
potts" under "White and Painted Perfect Ware." (Apothecary
wares make up 28 
percent of the total delftware in the inventory.)' 
   The vine and pseudofluting on the apothecary pot shown here have Conti-

nental origins and are conceptually similar to more boldly painted motifs
on an 
earlier storage pot also in this collection (see no. D393). Variations on
the vine 
occur on two other ovoid apothecaries' arms pots: the earliest is dated 1647
and 
has pseudofluted upper and lower banding but is without any border around
the 
arms; one dated 1663 lacks pseudofluting, but the arms are in a lobed reserve.,

The 1656 dated Longridge pot is most like the 1647 apothecaries' arms pot
in 
shape and decoration, and one undated pot (without arms) is similar in shape
and 
displays related flowers, fruit, pseudofluting, and other border motifs.6
The 1663 
apothecaries' arms pot and one dated 1658 (with floral and figural motifs
and 
pseudofluting) are without flaring bases.' Pseudofluting occurs on a 1632
dated 
mug or jug and on dishes with dates from the 1640s to 1660s.1 
 
 
D394. APOTHECARY POT 
 
 
London 
Dated 1656