Novelty curare apothecary jar owned by Hazel Scott
date: label: Date
content: mid 20th century
name: label: Manufactured by
content: Unidentified
label: Owned by
content: Hazel Scott, American, 1920 - 1981
label: Subject of
content: P. Page's Apothicaire à Rodez, French
notes: label: Caption
content: Pianist and vocalist Hazel Scott was an icon of mid-20th century American popular culture and a trailblazer for Black women in the entertainment industry. She famously abstained from drugs and these apothecary jars were a gag gift from some of her musician friends, likely during the years she spent living in France (1957-1967).
label: Description
content: A novelty apothecary jar with "curare" label owned by Hazel Scott. The jar (a) and its accompanying lid (b) are painted porcelain.
label: Description
content: The porcelain apothecary jar has a cylindrical body with an embossed ring at the shoulder and a footed base that have been accented with painted gold leaf bands. There is one thin gold leaf band at the shoulder and two at the footed base. Painted just below the shoulder is a large blue banner with painted black text that reads [CURARE]. Painted directly below the banner is a floral wreath design with a large pink and yellow rose at the center that is bookended by sprigs of three, small, orange cup-shaped flowers on one side, and three, small, five petal, dark and light blue flowers on the other. All of the flowers are accented with green leaves of varying sizes and shapes. The rest of the apothecary jar’s exterior is plain cream in color and the interior is plain. Handwritten brown text on the bottom of the apothecary jar reads [P. Page's / Apothicaire / à Rodez].
label: Description
content: The accompanying porcelain drop in lid for the apothecary jar has a short, round wall on the bottom that nestles tightly into the mouth of the jar, creating a seal. The top of the lid has a conical shape with concave sides, that taper outwards towards the bottom edge of the lid and features a ball shaped knob at the top. The knob has been painted gold leaf. Painted below is a wide blue band that wraps around the convex neck of the lid. Around the bottom edge of the lid is a thin, gold leaf band. Painted between the two bands is a floral wreath design with a large pink and yellow rose at the center that is bookended by sprigs of four, small, five petal, dark and light orange flowers on one side, and three, blue, cup-shaped flowers with yellow stems on the other. The rest of the lid’s exterior and interior are plain cream color.
place: label: Place made
content: Rodez, France, Europe
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Entertainers
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Music
label: Topic
content: Musicians
label: Topic
content: Singers (Musicians)
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Furnishings, Housewares, and Décor
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Adam Clayton Powell III
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2023.101.3.4ab
objectType: label: Type
content: apothecary bottles
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown – Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: paint and gold on porcelain
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2023.101.3.4ab): 6 × 3 3/8 × 3 3/8 in. (15.3 × 8.5 × 8.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2023.101.3.4a): 3 7/8 × 3 1/16 × 3 1/16 in. (9.9 × 7.7 × 7.7 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2023.101.3.4b): 2 5/16 × 3 3/8 × 3 3/8 in. (5.9 × 8.5 × 8.5 cm)