Apothecary Mortar - Greek Marble From Thassos - Florentine - Period: 17th Century

Rare pharmacy mortar in greek marble from thassos, an original and ancient work. The patina and veining of the marble are remarkable. Thassos marble is a white marble, a natural stone. Its name is inspired by the greek island of thassos, the island of mermaids and natural swimming pools. This rare object in an exceptional state of conservation for its time comes from a pharmacy in the city of florence in italy. It is very well made. Period: 17th century circa: 1650 - 1660 dimensions: height: 21cm – diameter 38cm the historic pharmacies of florence represent one of the characteristic aspects of the long and rich history of the tuscan capital. The art of apothecaries was in fact one of the seven major florentine arts in antiquity, recognized as such since 1266. And the famous botanical garden, the garden of the simples, is the third oldest in the world after that of pisa and padua, with its herbs, its history, its ancestral tradition of medicinal plants. It was created by the medici in 1545, and between the 16th and 17th centuries, it experienced a period of great splendor because here varieties of medicinal plants were finally cultivated and studied. Then it was the appearance of the first collections of medicine recipes born in florence. This is why the first pharmaceutical workshops were born here, and it is no coincidence that in florence there is a real “via degli apothecaries” (street of the apothecaries).

Ref. : JCUKAWW1