Tall Antique Italian Blue and Yellow Lidded Albarello Pot, 19th Century

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Hand-crafted in the traditional Italian majolica style, this tall blue and yellow lidded ceramic is known as an albarello pot. … Read more Hand-crafted in the traditional Italian majolica style, this tall blue and yellow lidded ceramic is known as an albarello pot. Measuring 17 inches tall, the vibrantly hand-painted jar would have been used to hold herbs and ointments in an apothecary during the 1800s. Note that the cylindrical, slightly incurved form, which is characteristic of an albarello, made it easier to remove the pot from shelves. The wonderful, hand-painted istoriato (“decorated with scenes”) motifs were also common on albarello, in this case, highlighted by a portrait of a woman in green with a blue headwrap transferring liquid between two vessels.

Behind the cartouche is a mural of curled leaves, alternating white leaves on green ground with yellow on navy, all set between two bands of palmettes with berries. Additional themes include Vitruvian waves, arabesques of foliage, and spiraling leaves. The imagery is very symmetrical, with motifs repeating in specific orders to render a beautiful decorative accessory for a mantel, console, or side table. See less