MACIS BL GE

Unknown artist

This is a straight walled pewter drug canister with a lid. The body has two round handles that are soldered to the body, and the lid has a round flattened finial. The engraved decoration on the canister creates a cartouche of leaves and scrolls topped by a crown. The center of the cartouche is inscribed with the merchant’s mark, a reversed numeral four incorporated with the initials G H M. Above the cartouche the canister is marked “MACIS: BIL: GE.” Mace or Macis is the dried red outer coating of the Nutmeg seed. In addition to its use as a flavoring for foods Mace was used as a narcotic, astringent, aromatic tonic and to curb diarrhea.