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PHARMACY JAR or ALBARELLO
Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Late 17th – early 18th century
Earthenware
H.: 26; Diam.: 15.5 cm
This Sicilian pharmacy jar, called an albarello, is made of majolica in the shape of an albarella: cylindrical, curved at the waist (to make it easier to grip) and with a shoulder at the level of the collar with a bead (to attach a ligature and close the container). It is entirely covered with a polychrome decoration organized in two cartouches: one on a blue background is centered by a round medallion with a bust portrait of the Reaper, the other, on a yellow ochre background, displays the portrait of a bearded man in a hood.
The upper and lower edges are animated by a frieze of yellow interlacing, outlined in brown – characteristic of the region.
Albarelli were prized by apothecaries and pharmacies, who kept ointments, medicinal plants and other powders in them thanks to the non-porous properties of these containers.
Text and photos © FCP CORIDON
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