Medicine Bottle
Yucatan, Mexico
A medicine bottle is found with jagged edges and black spots on the front and back. It has an amber color, with spots where it looks like it has been handled.
This bottle was handed off to a family who hosted a young man from Yucatan, Mexico in the early 1950s. One way this bottle might have been used would be for carrying medicinal material for ritual purposes, or for general medical use during a border crossing.
At a glance, this bottle may look insignificant but these bottles are seen as life-saving tools for some people. When migrating to a new place, a medicine bottle can be an essential resource. You never know if along the way you may face tribulations.
In a place where you have no knowledge of, it is vital to have something you know can help your loved one to recover from their sickness. By handing off the bottle, the young man shows how grateful he is to the family.
In an unknown environment, something familiar like a medicine bottle from home can not only provide comfort but also help an ill person recover.
By Lili Dimitroff, Quisi R. Oregel, and Karen Soto
Student Objects