With bulbous body and upper spout and nicely detailed handles, this jar is covered with tin-glaze inside and out. A beautiful Albarello.
 
This Albarello jar decorated in polychrome with a portrait of a lady with long brown helmeted curls in an round cartouche surrounded by flowers petals and foliage. Through the two handles is a piece of knotted rope most likely put on at a later date. (The charming ladies painted on Maiolica were mostly brides, potrayed on the bridegroom’s commission to celebrate their union).
 
I could not attribute a maker to this piece but it is signed Faenza at the base with two letters GN. (see below for a little history) This wonderful piece is in perfect condition, having no chips or cracks or glaze missing. It is handmade and hand painted.
 
It measures 7.00 inches tall and has a diameter of 6.50 inches at its widest. A wonderful piece to add to your collection or start one. (search terms: Italian Faience Maiolica Art Pottery Faenza drug jar, Albarello).
 
*If you require more photos or have any questions please contact us through the message feature*
 
A little History:
The origins of Faenza's ceramics date back many centuries; today, they are still very important as an expression of handicraft and industry. In the Middle Ages, the town became an important ceramics production center, thanks to the nature of its soil, which is rich in day, and to its geographical position. This made it a meeting point between the cultures of Emilia Romagna and Tuscany. Between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, Faenza's majolica slowly abandons the Gothic motifs that had partially characterized the late medieval production and the first Renaissance period, to acquire more typical Italian decorations. Later on, thanks to more broad-minded artists and to a closer link between potters and painters, we see the passage from a repertory of heraldic and decorative themes to more personal forms of representation of the human figure, which gave birth to a new style called "istoriato". lts name derives from the Italian word "storia" (story), as its main topics are scenes taken from mythology, history or painting. Faenza is home to the International Museum of Ceramics. The museum houses pieces from all over the world and from every epoch, from classical amphora to the works of Chagall and Picasso, and there is a rich section dedicated to Faenza pottery in the golden age of the Renaissance. The historic production of Faenza majolica is recognized worldwide as one of the highest moments of artistic creativity expressed through pottery. -An albarello (plural: albarelli) is a type of maiolica earthenware jar, originally a medicinal jar designed to hold apothecaries' ointments and dry drugs. The development of this type of pharmacy jar had its roots in the Middle East during the time of the Islamic conquests