Pharmacy jar (albarello)

Unknown

ca. 1475–1500 · Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware) · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Male busts in profile—one youthful, one mature—appear on the front of these two albarelli (see also 46.85.14), while the backs are painted with a graceful floriated design. Given their close similarity, it seems likely that the jars belonged to a single pharmacy set, which might originally have included dozens, if not hundreds, of vessels. In the absence of labels, the different physiognomies could help the merchant distinguish one jar from the next.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1475–1500

Medium

Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)

Culture

Italian, probably Naples or environs

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Fletcher Fund, 1946