Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum)

$45.00

Handcrafted collage art on a ceramic 5.75 x 5.75 inch tile with several layers of modge podge and a final coat of epoxy resin. The back of the tile contains a sawtooth hanger and 4 circle felt pads to protect your wall and furniture. 

Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) is an herb reputed to have powerful magical properties. Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) is part of the nightshade family, has a strong and unpleasant odor and is highly toxic. According to lore, Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum)'s roots grow in human form, male and female, and shriek when torn from the ground. Anyone who hears the plant's cry dies or goes mad.

 As a plant with the shape of a human body, Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) was believed to exercise control over the body: it could induce love or conception, or bring good fortune, wealth and power. Witches and sorcerers used the roots, fruits, and leaves of the plant not only as charms, but also in potions, ointments, oils and other concoctions to secure the children, love, wealth, or power that their customers and friends desired. Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) was also used in the treatment of demonic possession. If ingested or transmitted through the skin, the alkaloids in the mandrake root cause a number of toxic symptoms including hallucinations, hyperactivity, dilated pupils, blurred vision, dry mouth, difficulty urinating, flushed appearance, dizziness, nausea, rapid heart rate and sometimes coma or death.