Theriac Venice Treacle Italy 17th Century Authentic Lead Pewter Cup Seal

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Theriac Venice Treacle Italy 17th Century Authentic Lead Pewter Cup Seal :
$800.00

Description
Venice, Italy 17th century. PB Theriac box seal produced by the Alla testa d’oro pharmacopia of Venice.Legend: approximately
Diameter: 42mm / 1,65 inches
Height: 9mm / 0.35 inches
Weight: 23,8g / 0,840oz
Material: PewterCondition: Please judge by the photos and ask for more specific ones if needed.Theriac was a thick syrupy liquid medicine (known as an electuary) made from as many as 64 different ingredients. Variations appeared over the centuries in different cultures and it was used as a cure for a number of illnesses until the end of the 1700s. The ingredients were often strange and exotic.
According to legends, the history of theriac begins with the king Mithridates VI of Pontus who experimented with poisons and antidotes on his prisoners. His numerous toxicity experiments eventually led him to declare that he had discovered an antidote for every venomous reptile and poisonous substance. He mixed all the effective antidotes into a single one, mithridatium or mithridate. Mithridate contained opium, myrrh, saffron, ginger, cinnamon and castor, along with some forty other ingredients. When the Romans defeated him, his medical notes fell into their hands and Roman medici began to use them. Emperor Nero\'s physician Andromachus improved upon mithridatum by bringing the total number of ingredients to sixty four, including viper\'s flesh, a mashed decoction of which, first roasted then well aged, proved the most constant ingredient. Lise Manniche, however, links the origins of theriac to the ancient Egyptian kyphi recipe, which was also used medicinally. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theriac)For more information on similar items see: Blank. P. Voltolino, La storia di Venezia attraverso le medaglie (Milan, 1998), pp. 271-2 and no. 1295.
C. Martin, “Les capsules de theriaque”, - Museés de Genèva 99 (Geneva 1969), pp. 11-13.
U. Klein. “Von Paradies zu Paradies: Theriak und use Int\'l Shipping (12-14 days for US and 8-10 for Europe) with tracking number and delivery confirmation.I try to ship within the first 24 hours and I am willing to combine shipping when possible.My name is Miltiadis and entering my collections you \'ll be able to find a wide variety ofrare, authentic and original artifacts from literally all times and placesas well as a meticulously selected personal collection of natural amber.I\'m always more than willing to answer any further questions or special inquiriesso please do not hesitate to contact me through contact system.Thank You for your interest in my collections.I hope you find that something special you \'re looking for!