Italian maiolica albarello with landscape cartouche, 16th century

16th-century Italian maiolica albarello made of tin-glazed earthenware. The tall, distinctly waisted vessel body stands on a profiled foot and terminates in a short shoulder and flared rim.

The front shows, within an oval cartouche framed in green and ochre, a finely executed landscape with architecture, a tree, and hilly terrain. The remaining surface is decorated on a deep blue ground with large-format blossoms, leaves, and curved ornament in ochre, green, and white. Landscape depictions of this kind are frequently encountered on Italian maiolica, particularly in the 16th century.

The combination of polychrome painting, landscape medallion, and bold floral decor makes the vessel a characteristic example of Italian Renaissance maiolica. Comparable albarelli were produced in various Italian ceramic centers during the 16th century.

Condition: commensurate with age, with craquelé, rubbing, minor glaze losses, and chips to the rim and base area. The existing signs of age are documented in the photographs. Object type: Albarello / apothecary jar
Period / Dating: 16th century
Origin: Italy
Style: Renaissance
Material: Tin-glazed earthenware
Technique / decorative painting: Polychrome painting in cobalt blue, ochre, green, and brown on tin glaze
Decor: Landscape cartouche with architecture and tree, floral ornament on a blue ground
Condition: Commensurate with age, with craquelé, rubbing, glaze losses, and minor chips
Dimensions: 31cm x 14cm