$250.00

SKU: PR00580 Category:

Description

Description: We offer a late 17th/early 18th century woodcut packaging label for Seignette “polycrest” salt, a double salt of tartaric acid known today as potassium sodium tartrate. These salts were used for medicinal purposes hundreds of years ago, likely as laxatives. Pierre Seignette (1660-1719) of La Rochelle, France is often attributed as the developer of the medicine, though some sources claim that credit truly belongs to his grandfather, father, and uncle. Aside from medicine, the salt has been used in microphones and ear pieces during the WWII era, as well as being used to silver mirrors.

The label features an oval encased in a rectangular frame. Within the oval, there is a swan floating through water with a radiant sun shining at the upper left of the oval. Text in French is on either side of the image.

5 1/8” x 7 7/8”. Item #PR00580

Condition: Light staining, generally very good condition.