Unknown Maker, Italian

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.