Featured 18th-Century Pharmacy Jar? Help Identifying

I bought this today in Barcelona. It looks like a pharmacy jar, and I believe it dates back to the 18th century. What do you think—does that seem accurate? I’d also be interested in finding out what kind of coat of arms it features and where it might come from. Thanks!

 

Two headed Eagle...Poland, or Russia?

 

@Any Jewelry

 

Widely associated with Spain. Found on the coat of arms of the city and province of Toledo. Associated with the House of Hapsburg rulers of Spain such as Carlos I.

Debora

 

Agree, an apothecary jar.
Many replicas were made in the 1970s.

Also with the Austrian Habsburg house.
The crown is an imperial one, so the image is associated with an emperor.
Afaik, the only king of Spain who was also emperor (though not of Spain) was Spain's Carlos I, our Karel V. He was also emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, which included a large chunk of central Europe as well as most of the Low Countries. He was not emperor of Spain.

So if the origin is Spanish, the crest most likely refers to Carlos I/Karel V.

 

Of course, Karel V lived 1500-58. (Attached Karel/Charles V portraits by Bernard van Orley (after), Hopfer 1520-21, Tiziano 1533.)

Another possibility is that it is an alchemical symbol rather than a crest. Two-headed birds/eagles do appear in alchemical texts and on pharmacy jars. That fits with the pharmacy jar.

https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_993667

The markings in the circle in the middle of the bird may determine whether it is crest, alchemical/pharmaceutical emblem, or something else.

 

Here is a pharmacy jar with the double-headed eagle surmounted by a crown, identified as Habsburg:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/157108712366
The crown does connect it to royal/imperial arms. So the question is "Why would the Habsburg crest be on a pharmaceutical jar?" Is it a double meaning, claiming imperial approval of the medicine and the historical link to alchemy/pharmacy? Or is it analogous to Straffordshire (and other English) 19th century potteries using the royal arms in their pottery marks? Does anyone have a definitive answer?

The 18th century drug jar in in the National Museum of American History collection (https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_993667) has a double-headed eagle surmounted by a crown. The site states, "George Urdang attributes this jar to 18th-century Nuremberg and the St. Emeran Episcopal Court Pharmacy." Is your jar from a court pharmacy? (I suspect a court pharmacy jar embelm would be more skillfully painted.) Does anyone know how widespread imperial arms on pharmacy jars are?

 

That one is the Spanish Habsburg eagle, with the appropriate crest.

The crest on José's jar is different. Although probably not an exact representation, I wonder if the double-armed cross is that of Slovakia, once part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The Slovakian double cross stands on mountains, which could be represented by the triangle.

 

The ebay jar:

 

Excellent. That explains the images in the circle.

 

Slovakia's coat of arms has always had a stick on top throughout history. But here it is not.

 

Great brainstorming! Thnx a lot

 

So which century it is?

 

I really hope this isn't Slovakia. Why would I need a pharmacy jar from Slovakia?

 

Because it would be far rarer than one from Spain? (innocent face)

 

@Jose Garcia
NO! NO! NO! Not Russian. We don't have / didn't have so ugly White and Blue ceramic with "sick ugly" bird. The only White and Blue we have / had: Imperial Russian Lomonosov porcelain and Gzhel ceramic.

 

Sniped by @Any Jewelry!!

 

Lomosov is pretty stuff.

 

Good morning everyone. I think I found it! It’s not Slovakian, but Spanish from Talaverna:

https://ebay.us/m/XnMN5s

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/_36543EBB16

I will write to them offering my piece to form part of their museum