The presented majolica apothecary vessel comes from the collection of Mateusz Bronisław Grabowski (1904–1976). The belly of the jug is egg-shaped, featuring a cylindrical neck and a round, flattened foot on a high leg. The spout is tubular. On the opposite side, there is a handle in the shape of decorative spirals split at the bottom and blended into the skull of the vessel. The vessel is covered with plant-figural ornament. The ornaments are painted in cobalt blue on a cream-white background. Under the spout, at the bottom of the vessel, one can see an image of a smiling mascaron, and above it, a wide ribbon with curled ends. On the ribbon, there is an inscription: Oximel∙comp[ositum], meaning acetum honey. This preparation contained: root and seeds of celery (Apium gravrolens L.), root and seeds of fennel (Foeniculum officinale L.), parsley root (Petroselinum sativum L.), root of butcher’s-broom (Ruscus aculeatus L.) and root of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) as well as vinegar (Acetum) and purified honey (Mel despumatum). Acetum honey was used as a diaphoretic and a detoxicant for the liver, spleen and kidneys.

Grabowski’s collection

Grabowski’s collection consists of 83 ceramic apothecary vessels made in the period from the 16th to the 19th century in Italian, Dutch, British and French manufactories. They are some of the most valuable exhibits of the Museum of Pharmacy at the Jagiellonian University Medical College. The creator and donor of the collection was the Master of Pharmacy Mateusz Bronisław Grabowski (1904–1976), a pre-war pharmaceutical inspector of the Warsaw Voivodeship, soldier in the September campaign of 1939, member of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, and later, an emigrant entrepreneur and patron of the arts. In years 1948–1976, he ran a pharmacy in central London as well as the thriving Grabowski Export-Import company, which exported medicines to Poland and other countries behind the Iron Curtain. His pharmacy and drug trading company were known under the common name of Grabowski’s Pharmacy. In 1959, he founded a contemporary art gallery, i.e. the Grabowski Gallery, which was located right next to his company. It was not profit-oriented, but its owner decided to bestow his patronage on both Polish and young, aspiring artists of other nationalities. The first European pop art show was held there in 1962. At Grabowski’s Gallery, Jan Czapski, Wojciech Fangor, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Derek Boshier, Pauline Boty and many other creators presented their works. During nearly sixteen years of promotional and exhibition activities, Mateusz Grabowski amassed a private collection of 386 works of art. In 1975, he donated it to the Museum of Art in Łódź and the National Museum in Warsaw. The pharmacist also collected apothecary pottery, which he donated to the Museum of Pharmacy in Kraków. In 1975, in London, he created a foundation in his name – the MB Grabowski Fund, devoting a significant portion of his wealth to this purpose. Its task is to promote Polish culture and science in Great Britain.
Majolica includes ware made of baked clay and covered in tin-lead glaze. They are produced using a technique originating from the Middle East. Over time, the technique also spread in the Iberian Peninsula and subsequently, in Italy. The majolica originating in those regions was particularly popular during the Renaissance and became one of the art symbols of the period. The most important ceramic centres included: Faenza, Urbino, Deruta, Venice, Rome, Montelupo and Savona. Majolica products were very expensive, which is why ordering a set of apothecary dishes emphasised the high economic status of the pharmacy owner. Grabowski’s collection includes: vessels (for liquid medicines), vases, jars (including albarella) and tins (for semi-liquid and solid medicines). The names of the preparations, most often in Latin, were typically placed in cartouches painted on the walls of the vessels. There are also unlabelled containers, which may have belonged in a home medicine kit of a wealthy owner. Later on, empty spaces were left on the vessels, in which the names of the medicines could be written according to current needs.