Doe and Hope

Description

The imposing large clear glass chemist jars having domed feet rising to globular tapering bodies having the original tear drop shaped stoppers surviving from the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

Structurally the pieces are very sound with no cracks or chips and remain in desirable condition. The stoppers are original and do not suffer from any losses and the wholes are clear and not cloudy. There are some old sticking crystal deposits on the inside of one of the jars. Each jar could be cleaned with sand solution if so desired.

These jars were part of Wilfred Harris’ inventory at his dispensing chemist’s at 6 Albert Road, Bournemouth, UK, well into the early twentieth century. These vessels would have acted as the central decorative fixture in the apothecaries shop window, being displayed holding brightly coloured liquids. These were designed to indicate that the pharmacist concerned was well trained because he was able to mix his own medicines rather than just selling pre-mixed concoctions, but also because the levels of literacy were quite low so that clear symbols were needed to encourage custom.

Dazzlingly decorative glassware on a grand scale.