A Delft dry drug jar mid 18th century, painted in blue with peacocks flanking a basket of fruit above a cartouche inscribed ~R Juniperin~, with a later metal cover, some rim chipping, 19.7cm. (2)Juniper berries have been used as a purifying substance for centuries, and the ancient Greeks believed they increased stamina in their Olympian athletes. By the 17th century it was also in use as a powerful diuretic.