An early 20th century French leech jar use for the storage of leeches (hirudines).

The holes in jar are too small to allow the leeches to escape but allow them enough air to breathe. The central stoneware is suspended within an outer glass jar so that the bottom of the jar is kept a few mm off the ground. In use, the outer jar would have been contained a small amount of fluid to keep the leeches in a humid atmosphere.

• From the Phisick collection