Pill slab c. 1750

This ceramic pill slab was created by an anonymous maker, though likely in Europe. Emblazoned with heraldic symbols, the slab would have been used in a pharmacy to prepare and measure ingredients for medicines. The rampant unicorns, crest and shield are all designed to signify the high status and authority of the apothecary who owned it, and thus the efficacy of their medicines. The Latin motto, ‘offero que per orbem dicor’ translates to 'I offer, and I am spoken of throughout the world', signaling the quality of the apothecary's medicines. Ceramics like this offer a glimpse into the history of medicine and the social status of those who practiced it. The study of pharmacy tools, like the study of art, benefits from a close attention to the cultural values in which objects are embedded. Socio-historical research, material analysis, and archival documents, can all offer further insight into the relationship between health, commerce, and social status in the past.