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Italian

Drug Jar (Albarello), ca.1550

Now On View

Description

Maker

Culture

Italian

Title

Drug Jar (Albarello)

Year

ca.1550

Medium

Earthenware with tin glaze and enamels

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Dimensions

24.1 x 13 cm (9 1/2 x 5 1/8 inches)

Type

Credit

Bequest of Susan Martin Allien

Object Number

35.713

About

Cylindrical apothecary jars (albarelli) were used to store drugs or herbs, and were designed so that their rims could be covered with parchment or leather and banded with cord to keep their contents dry. This jar depicts Saint Anthony the Hermit holding a flame that represents ergotism, also known as “Saint Anthony’s Fire,” a skin disease caused by contaminated grain. The painful ailment was treated by a community of monks whose church held relics of Saint Anthony.

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Exhibition History

Exhibition History

European Galleries

Cylindrical apothecary jars (albarelli) were used to store drugs or herbs. The form was designed so that the jar’s mouth could be covered with parchment or leather and banded with cord. This example depicts Saint Anthony holding a flame that represents Saint Anthony’s fire, a skin disease caused by contaminated grain.

This jar’s form derives from Asia. Its shape resembles sections of bamboo used as storage containers in China, and its ceramic type, known in Italy as maiolica, is a Western effort to mimic the appearance of decorated Asian porcelain.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Drug Jar (Albarello) with the accession number of 35.713. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.