Posted 6 years ago
esegal
(12 items)
Found this Apothecary cabinet that once held medicine bottles in a thrift store broken in several places and covered with old paint. It still had original hinges and lock. The door has a hand carved, rustic image of a the earlier depiction of the medical symbol, which is the staff of Asclepius. This is the one without wings and only has one snake. It dates back to Ancient Greek mythology where Asclepius, the son of Apollo and the human princess Coronis, is the Greek demigod of medicine . Asclepius was able to restore the health of the sick and bring the dead back to life. The newer and more familiar medical symbol, the Caduceus, has two snakes intertwined around a staff and two wings at the top, making this cabinet fairly older than other objects bearing the newer symbol. My best guess is mid 19th Century.
Wow! You did an amazing job with this!