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Tomàs Balvey Museum Archive - Casal de Cultura Dr. Daurella

Dragon's blood powder Pharmacy pot

Imperial-style pharmacy pot, 1827. Tomàs Balvey Museum Archive - Casal de Cultura Dr. Daurella. Cardedeu.

 

Imperial-style pharmacy pot, 1827. Tomàs Balvey Museum Archive - Casal de Cultura Dr. Daurella. Cardedeu.

 

A cup-shaped pot and lid. The decoration is made by hand and in the centre, in a draped-looking sign, is the name of the substance: " P. Sang. Drac", or dragon’s blood powder

Dragon's blood powder is a red resin from the Dracaena draco, an emblematic tree of the Canary Islands with roots that provide a gum resin used as a stimulant, astringent, abortant, toothpaste and against rheumatism.

This was acquired by Tomàs Balvey i Paré in 1927 from a potter in Barcelona, along with the rest of the nearly two hundred pots. They were still in use until 1943, when his grandson, Tomàs Balvey i Bas, closed the pharmacy.

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