Very Rare Big-Sized Apothecary Pill Silverer. Budapest, 1879

Wonderful and very rare big-sized apothecary pill silverer, made in Budapest in 1879 and in fine condition. The silverer is made of solid wood and is really well preserved. It is a very remarkable piece for its big size and beautiful decoration: the wood has been carved to simulate rustic logs, vertically disposed around the vessel and at the lid. If we turn the item upside down, at the foot we will find an inscription: 1879 86/I Budapest. It is written by hand in black ink, in a beautiful classic lettering. Inside the silverer preserves remains of the silvery material used to cover the pills made by old-time pharmacists. This way, their taste and look were more pleasant and the bitterness of the medicine was somewhat concealed. The process was as follows: the pill was impregnated with mucilage of acacia and was put into the wooden cup, where a silver or gold leaf had been put. Then the user would rotate the cup until the pill was completely covered by the leaf. As special as beautiful, this very rare big-sized apothecary pill silverer can be considered a real collectors item. Dimensions: Width: 3.8 in / 9.7 cm. Height: 7.68 in / 19.5 cm.