Beautiful large antique gaper All generations in the family, exact age unknown. The gaper is 26.2 cm high and weighs 2.56 kg. Signed on the back, Fecil Dichlxayh H.M.T. Xandrig, see picture. Made of baked pottery/clay. A gaper was placed outside a pharmacy to attract customers, and also served as an indication of the pharmacy’s quality. Initially, this advertising sign was put over the door, on the porch, but from the 17th century it was more commonly attached it to the wall. The mouth of the gaper, however, is not open to “gape”/yawn, but to take medication. Many gapers are grimacing due to the bitter tasting medicine. The southern or exotic appearance of the gaper is a symbol of the origin of the ingredients of the medication. Western Europeans actively traded with countries in Asia and Africa, so discovering and bringing home many previously unknown spices. These were the spices sold by a pharmacy. The exotic origin, indicated by the turban, may suggest the efficacy of Oriental medicine. Packaged carefully and shipped by insured mail with PostNL. It can also be collected in Steenbergen (North Brabant) The Netherlands