the objects
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Apothecary Chest
Japan, early 19th century
1993.22
Apothecary tables and chests were utilitarian in origin; the many drawers allowed for the storage of herbs, vials, and mixtures for medicinal purposes. This elaborate decorative apothecary chest, however, is more likely to have been a stationary chest, made for Westerners. It is another example of the fashionable trend of collecting artwork and furniture with East Asian elements. This piece is believed to have been given to the Gibson family by John Collins Warren (1842-1927), a prominent physician and the brother of Rosamond Warren Gibson.
Japan, early 19th century
1993.22
Apothecary tables and chests were utilitarian in origin; the many drawers allowed for the storage of herbs, vials, and mixtures for medicinal purposes. This elaborate decorative apothecary chest, however, is more likely to have been a stationary chest, made for Westerners. It is another example of the fashionable trend of collecting artwork and furniture with East Asian elements. This piece is believed to have been given to the Gibson family by John Collins Warren (1842-1927), a prominent physician and the brother of Rosamond Warren Gibson.