Tunbridge Ware Salve Pot with Geometric Cover c1860

Description

Heading : Tunbridge ware salve pot with geometric cover

Date : c1860

Period : Victoria

Origin : Probably Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Decoration : Geometric screw on stickware cover and glass liner

Size : 2.5cm height, 3.6cm diameter

Condition : Exemplary

Restoration : None

Weight :  17 grams

One of the best we have seen and in remarkable condition

Notes : The Victorians had an insatiable desire for small pots of salve, though the majority of such items tended to be ceramic rather than wooden. There were Egyptian Salves,  Indian Ointment.,Sufferer’s Friend, Electrical Herbal Ointment and even No Name Ointment to name but a tiny part of what was a myriad of substances. all of which would be better classified as ‘snake oil’.

Made from an inert carrier such as petroleum jelly, beeswax or lard and sometimes containing traces of alcohol,  narcotics, lead, mercury or herbs the salves were purported to cure – amongst other things – sores and boils discoloured urine, all manner of wounds, burns, scalds, bad legs, scurvy, skin diseases, eruptions, ‘swelled tongue’ and – of course – carbuncles.

It’s fair to say that pretty much any ailment that befell you was considered to be treatable by slapping some one of these dubious concoctions on the afflicted body part – though the prime beneficiary of such ‘medication’ was likely to be solely the person who sold it to you in the first place !