Apothecary Mortar - Greek Marble From Thassos - Florentine - Period: XVIIth Century

A rare Greek marble pharmacy mortar from Thassos, an original and ancient work.
The patina and veining of the marble are remarkable.
Thassos marble is a white marble, a natural stone.
Its name is inspired by the Greek island of Thassos, the island of mermaids and natural pools.

This rare object, in an exceptional state of preservation for its time, comes from a pharmacy in Florence, Italy.
It is beautifully made.

Period: 17th century
Circa: 1650 - 1660
Dimensions: Height: 21cm - Diameter 38cm

The historic pharmacies of Florence represent one of the characteristic aspects of the long and rich history of the Tuscan capital. 

In ancient times, the art of apothecary was one of the seven major Florentine arts, and has been recognised as such since 1266. 

And the famous botanical garden, the Garden of the Simple Medicines, is the third oldest in the world after Pisa and Padua, with its herbs, its history and its ancestral tradition of medicinal plants. 

It was created by the Medici in 1545, and between the 16th and 17th centuries, it enjoyed a period of great splendour as varieties of medicinal plants were finally cultivated and studied here. 
Then the first collections of medical recipes appeared in Florence. 

That's why the first pharmaceutical workshops were set up here, and it's no coincidence that Florence has a veritable "via degli apothicari" (apothecaries' street).