BOLUS RUBER
National Museum of American History

BOLUS RUBER

1790-1810

ceramic (overall material)
National Museum of American History
CC0 — Public Domain
National Museum of American History

This majolica drug jar is decorated with a painted garland of blue and purple flowers. Green leaves create an oval medallion outlined in yellow and black. The interior of the garland is marked, “BOLUS RUBER” in black, and the bottom of the jar is marked “HN.” A bolus is a large pill, and ruber would likely refer to the pill’s red color.

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