We returned to the Arts and Heritage store to take a look at a selection of objects for our Food to Nurture display case. Responding to our discussions with the group, the collections team had found objects relating to herbal medicine, home remedies and vitamins and supplements rationed during the post war years. Discussing each object, the group reflected upon how what we eat is tied to our physical and emotional wellbeing. For example, why we eat particular foods to regain strength such as chicken soup, kedgeree or dhaal as well as how certain drinks such as honey and lemon or spiced chai are a means to boost immunity and bolster our resilience to coughs and colds in the winter months.
Meet Adiantum Capillus-Veneris, also known as the Southern Maidenhair Fern or Venus Hair. This fern from our collection may look delicate but it packs a punch when it comes to medicinal properties.
It grows in Southern climates and was often used in Iranian, Greek and Native American medicines to treat a whole host of illness, including alopecia, cleansing the respiratory system, upset stomachs and even helping in childbirth, to name a few!
The plant was often seen as having a feminine divinity by its ability to support hair growth, through its literal translation to ‘You will come with long hair’, to the Ancient Greek translation of ‘Venus’ hair.