This jar was used to store dried plants. It is part of a set of seven pharmacy jars, or cylindrical apothecary containers, made in the so-called Vandelli faience, produced in the late 18th century at the Santa Clara factory in Coimbra (1784–1810). The set belonged to the Italian naturalist Domenico Vandelli (1735–1816), Professor of Chemistry and Natural History at the University of Coimbra and the first director (1772–1791) of what is now the Science Museum.
Each jar bears the name and number of one of the classes of the Plantae kingdom in Linnaeus’s classification system. It is thought that this decorative collection, commissioned by Domenico Vandelli, was created as a tribute to his friendship with Linnaeus (1707–1778), with whom he corresponded.
This jar is inscribed “CL.XI. Dodecandria”, the name of a Linnaean plant class comprising species with hermaphroditic flowers and twelve to nineteen free, equal stamens.