Albarello
Albarello, Italy, Tuscany, 15th century c. 1450
1954.258
Not on display
The albarello-a name of uncertain origin-was a pharmacist's jar used to hold dried herbs or medicinal compounds. It was usually closed by means of a piece of parchment or cloth stretched over its mouth and tied with a string. Its characteristic concave sides offered an easy grip to facilitate handling. This large albarello is one of the best of a small number of exquisitely decorated blue-and-white pieces produced in Tuscany in the mid 1400s.
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