Uses and reuses

The close analysis of the apothecary containers of the collection from Cluj reveals numerous cases of reuse. Some of the jars have been repainted, with new inscriptions on top of old ones. Occasionally, the name of the new content was rendered on the opposite side, as the jars in question preserve two different signatures. In the most interesting cases, the history of the artifacts is fully documented: from the production place (manufacturer marks on the bottom), to the users (one or more pharmacies with personalized labels, handwritten notations of quantities and expiry dates made by pharmacists), collectors (the old inventory numbers of the Transylvanian Museum) and the current holder (the inventory numbers of the National Museum of Transylvanian History).