A bezoar stone in a glass dome

A bezoar stone in a glass dome.

English, 19th century.

The bezoar measures 5.8 x 5.4 x 4.9cm.

The dome and stand measures 11cm high x 15cm long x 9.5cm wide.

The specimen, most likely collected during the 19th century is contained within a 19th century glass dome, the front adorned with a silver plaque engraved ‘Bezoar’.

A bezoar is a lump of hardened, undigested material found in the gastrointestinal tract of deer, antelope, goats, oxen and llamas. It forms when layers of calcium and magnesium phosphate build up around a small piece of plant fibre or a pebble. The word bezoar derives from the Persian word p?d-zahr, which means ‘antidote’. The myth of the bezoar as an antidote was introduced to Europe from the Middle East in the 11th century and remained popular until the 19th century. It was believed to have the power of a universal antidote, would work against any poison, and that a drinking glass which contained a bezoar could neutralise any poison poured into it. Bezoars were highly prized and so were often set into jewelled objects or worn as pendants or in rings so that the user would always have their ‘antidote’ to hand, should they need to neutralise whatever it is they are about to consume.