A wet drug jar bearing an imaginary coat of arms and motto for the Guild of Menopause. I’ve noticed that once we reach a ‘certain age’, women enter a kind of secret society – we recognise and acknowledge each other in public places and in passing with a subtle look, a smile of recognition and solidarity; this makes me feel as if I’ve entered a secret society hiding in plain sight. We see each other, even if nobody else takes notice. The motto reads ‘SUM FINITA EXCUSANS’, which translates to ‘I am done apologising’ (menopausal people will relate to this!) and the shield depicts invented symbols of menopause – fire/hot flushes, water/night sweats, the moon for its influence and an egg on wings to symbolise the cessation of fertility. I saw some beautiful Maiolica jugs with coats of arms on them in my research, and one in particular at the Courtauld gallery caught my eye. There is often a decorative device of cornucopias framing the coat of arms on jugs of this type, whose shape reminded me of fallopian tubes – so my cornucopias have eggs flying away above them. The flowers are evening primrose, a well-known herbal remedy for ‘women’s problems’.
I want to reinforce the message that menopause is an event that all women throughout history who have lived to this time of life share – it isn’t something to hide, or feel shame about – it’s just biology, doing what it should. I also feel very lucky to be part of the post-feminist generation of women (in Western culture at least) who feel able to openly talk about this subject – one that has been sorely under-represented in Western culture until very recently. Whether menopause is something you have lived alongside, have experienced or are going to experience in the future, I hope my pharmacy jars and their depictions resonate with you as much as they have helped me to negotiate and come to terms with this pivotal time of life.
