An albarello (a name of Italian descent meaning "cell", plural: albarelli) also known as a "majolica drug jar" because of the type of tin glaze used is known as Majolica (also known as maiolica). [1] [2] This cylindrical storage unit or maiolica earthenware jar, is used for a plethora of purposes, most commonly for drug storage as a medicinal jar. [1] [2] The jar was also used for other purposes such as storing dried fruit, herbs, balms, and apothecaries' ointments and dry drugs. [3]
People usually stored their albarelli in buildings with medical purposes, like pharmacies, hospitals, and doctors' offices. [4] [5] Such jars served both functional and decorative purposes in traditional apothecaries and pharmacies, and represented status and wealth. The jars were generally sealed with a piece of parchment or leather tied with a piece of cord. Hospitals often used albarelli to hold products such as ointments, balms, and different remedies for patients. [3] Albarelli were also utilized in ways other than its originally intended purpose: they were used to hold perfume, they could function as a form of décor, and as vases to display flowers. [1]
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the Italian word albarello means "a decorated ceramic pharmacy jar of a cylindrical shape with a slight constriction halfway up (first used in 1344 as alberello; and then later, in the late 15th century as albarello), but the term's exact origin and etymology remains a topic for a debate. [6] Some scholars argue that its etymology suggests that it derives either from the post-classical Latin word albarus meaning "white poplar" or the Classical Latin word albus meaning white. [6] However, its important to note here that the poplar tree itself is not being compared to the jar, as the Italian usage of the word albarello for a white poplar tree came long after the naming of the albarello jar. [6] The issue has further been muddled because some have claimed that these jars were originally manufactured in wood, even though there is no physical evidence of this in recovered materials and surviving jars. [7] [8] Another possible origin of the term lies in another related Classical Latin word albaris ("whitish") and another Classical Latin term albarius referencing its relation to a whitewashing vessel. [6] [9] Its important to note that both albaris and albarius are only recorded as adjectives "of or relating to stucco" and therefore, do not have usage in relation to pottery or pottery glazes. [6]
The origin of this type of pharmacy jar has its roots in the Middle East during the time of the Islamic conquests. [10] The term majolica specifically refers to a type of tin glaze that originated in the Near East along Islamic trade routes, showcasing the strong influence of Islamic material culture. [1] The characteristic shape of the arbarello also has its roots in the East. [11] Additionally, Chinese porcelain and its manufacturing played a significant role in influencing the development and spread of arbarelli across Europe. [10] The influence from the Islamic empire coupled with the manufacturing of Chinese porcelain made for mass manufacture and subsequent exportation of albarelli for several cultures including those in Italy, China, and Spain, and in turn were re-purposed for differing needs. [10]
Spanning out of the East from the Islamic empires and China, the albarelli were first introduced to Europe in Syria and Spain and then brought to Italy by Muslim Arab traders, during the height of the Italian Renaissance where its shape and purpose was adopted. [11] [10] By importing majolica from Spain and Syria, Italian artists began producing versions of their own that differed from the traditional Islamic arbarelli with the addition of handles to heighten the functionality of the jar and the introduction of new designs including "a trofei" (with trophies), "a foglie" (leafy designs), and "a frutti" (decorated with fruits). [1] [2] [12] While the styles in both Spain and Italy kept on developing, clear influence could still be linked backed to traditional Chinese and Islamic ceramic designs despite the changes in style and designs. [10] Eventually Syrian manufacture of the jars lead to them being described in Italian as "porcellana domaschina" (damascene porcelain), to distinguish that the blue-and-white lusterware were made in Damascus and were not authentic Chinese porcelain that had been imported into Europe previously. [10]
Albarelli are known for having a cylindrical shape without handles and a thin neck to make them easy to handle and move. [1] [2] [11] [13] [14] [15] [16] Albarelli are usually made out of majolica, which has helped historians decipher the history between the albarelli, due to it being such a resistant and strong material. [15] In later forms after it spread throughout Europe, their design included the addition of handles that were adopted by the Italians after the 15th century. [17] On average, albarelli were recorded to be 7-8 inches in height. [11] Instead of having a fitted lid to cover the opening at the top, people would use a fitted paper to lay on top to seal it. [17]
Spain was introduced to Albarelli by the East, it was adopted quickly. [13] They are known to have the same cylindrical shape, with a more narrow opening, and an indented base where artists usually sign their name. Albarelli were also labelled through the symbols on the outside and through parchment paper in the vase. [13]
The earliest Italian examples were produced in Florence in the 15th century. Albarelli were made in Italy from the first half of the 15th century through to the late 18th century and beyond. Italian-based albarelli are commonly measured to be 7-8 inches in height. [11] [11] Italian albarelli adopted its shape from lustreware from Islamic Spain. [18] Unlike English albarelli, Italian-based pots had flat edges on the rims to account for the placement of a paper cover that functioned as a lid. [18] There was a lot of Oriental inspiration when making these jars, noticed through the blue and white colors on majority of the pots, also referred to as alla porcellana, which means in the form of imported Chinese porcelain, "a trofei" meaning with trophies, "a foglie" meaning leafy designs, and "a frutti" meaning decorated with fruits. [2] [12] Further designs include floral motifs against a white background, to more elaborate designs such as portraits of a cherub or priest, and can include a label describing the contents of the jar. Specific styles of decoration are now associated with various Italian locations, including Florence, Venice, Gerace and Palermo in Sicily.
Middle Eastern and Islamic Styles
Spanish Styles
Italian Styles
Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue or as delf, is a general term now used for Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, a form of faience. Most of it is blue and white pottery, and the city of Delft in the Netherlands was the major centre of production, but the term covers wares with other colours, and made elsewhere. It is also used for similar pottery, English delftware.
Faience or faïence is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip of a lead glaze, was a major advance in the history of pottery. The invention seems to have been made in Iran or the Middle East before the ninth century. A kiln capable of producing temperatures exceeding 1,000 °C (1,830 °F) was required to achieve this result, the result of millennia of refined pottery-making traditions. The term is now used for a wide variety of pottery from several parts of the world, including many types of European painted wares, often produced as cheaper versions of porcelain styles.
In different periods of time and in different countries, the term majolica has been used for two distinct types of pottery.
"Blue and white pottery" covers a wide range of white pottery and porcelain decorated under the glaze with a blue pigment, generally cobalt oxide. The decoration was commonly applied by hand, originally by brush painting, but nowadays by stencilling or by transfer-printing, though other methods of application have also been used. The cobalt pigment is one of the very few that can withstand the highest firing temperatures that are required, in particular for porcelain, which partly accounts for its long-lasting popularity. Historically, many other colours required overglaze decoration and then a second firing at a lower temperature to fix that.
Islamic pottery occupied a geographical position between Chinese ceramics, and the pottery of the Byzantine Empire and Europe. For most of the period, it made great aesthetic achievements and influence as well, influencing Byzantium and Europe. The use of drinking and eating vessels in gold and silver, the ideal in ancient Rome and Persia as well as medieval Christian societies, is prohibited by the Hadiths, with the result that pottery and glass were used for tableware by Muslim elites, as pottery also was in China but was much rarer in Europe and Byzantium. In the same way, Islamic restrictions greatly discouraged figurative wall painting, encouraging the architectural use of schemes of decorative and often geometrically patterned titles, which are the most distinctive and original speciality of Islamic ceramics.
Maiolica is tin-glazed pottery decorated in colours on a white background. The most renowned Italian maiolica is from the Renaissance period. These works were known as istoriato wares when depicting historical and mythical scenes. By the late 15th century, multiple locations, mainly in northern and central Italy, were producing sophisticated pieces for a luxury market in Italy and beyond. In France, maiolica developed as faience, in the Netherlands and England as delftware, and in Spain as talavera. In English, the spelling was anglicised to majolica.
Hispano-Moresque ware is a style of initially Islamic pottery created in Al-Andalus, which continued to be produced under Christian rule in styles blending Islamic and European elements. It was the most elaborate and luxurious pottery being produced in Europe until the Italian maiolica industry developed sophisticated styles in the 15th century, and was exported over most of Europe. The industry's most successful period was the 14th and 15th centuries.
Tin-glazing is the process of giving tin-glazed pottery items a ceramic glaze that is white, glossy and opaque, which is normally applied to red or buff earthenware. Tin-glaze is plain lead glaze with a small amount of tin oxide added. The opacity and whiteness of tin glaze encourage its frequent decoration. Historically this has mostly been done before the single firing, when the colours blend into the glaze, but since the 17th century also using overglaze enamels, with a light second firing, allowing a wider range of colours. Majolica, maiolica, delftware and faience are among the terms used for common types of tin-glazed pottery.
Mintons was a major company in Staffordshire pottery, "Europe's leading ceramic factory during the Victorian era", an independent business from 1793 to 1968. It was a leader in ceramic design, working in a number of different ceramic bodies, decorative techniques, and "a glorious pot-pourri of styles - Rococo shapes with Oriental motifs, Classical shapes with Medieval designs and Art Nouveau borders were among the many wonderful concoctions". As well as pottery vessels and sculptures, the firm was a leading manufacturer of tiles and other architectural ceramics, producing work for both the Houses of Parliament and United States Capitol.
Victorian majolica properly refers to two types of majolica made in the second half of the 19th century in Europe and America.
Tin-glazed pottery is earthenware covered in lead glaze with added tin oxide which is white, shiny and opaque ; usually this provides a background for brightly painted decoration. It has been important in Islamic and European pottery, but very little used in East Asia. The pottery body is usually made of red or buff-colored earthenware and the white glaze imitated Chinese porcelain. The decoration on tin-glazed pottery is usually applied to the unfired glaze surface by brush with metallic oxides, commonly cobalt oxide, copper oxide, iron oxide, manganese dioxide and antimony oxide. The makers of Italian tin-glazed pottery from the late Renaissance blended oxides to produce detailed and realistic polychrome paintings.
Artisanal Talavera of Puebla and Tlaxcala is a Mexican pottery tradition with heritage from the Talavera de la Reina pottery of Spain. In 2019, both traditions were included in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Doccia porcelain, now usually called Richard-Ginori, at Doccia, a frazione of Sesto Fiorentino, near Florence, was in theory founded in 1735 by marchese Carlo Ginori near his villa, though it does not appear to have produced wares for sale until 1746. It has remained among the most important Italian porcelain factories ever since.
A medicinal jar, drug jar, or apothecary jar is a jar used to contain medicines. Ceramic medicinal jars originated in the Islamic world and were brought to Europe where the production of jars flourished from the Middle Ages onward. Potteries were established throughout Europe and many were commissioned to produce jars for pharmacies and monasteries. They are an important category of the Dutch and English porcelain known as Delftware.
Chinese influences on Islamic pottery cover a period starting from at least the 8th century CE to the 19th century. The influence of Chinese ceramics on Islamic pottery has to be viewed in the broader context of the considerable importance of Chinese culture on Islamic arts in general.
The city of Rouen, Normandy has been a centre for the production of faience or tin-glazed earthenware pottery, since at least the 1540s. Unlike Nevers faience, where the earliest potters were immigrants from Italy, who at first continued to make wares in Italian maiolica styles with Italian methods, Rouen faience was essentially French in inspiration, though later influenced by East Asian porcelain. As at Nevers, a number of styles were developed and several were made at the same periods.
China painting, or porcelain painting, is the decoration of glazed porcelain objects, such as plates, bowls, vases or statues. The body of the object may be hard-paste porcelain, developed in China in the 7th or 8th century, or soft-paste porcelain, developed in 18th-century Europe. The broader term ceramic painting includes painted decoration on lead-glazed earthenware such as creamware or tin-glazed pottery such as maiolica or faience.
Lead-glazed earthenware is one of the traditional types of earthenware with a ceramic glaze, which coats the ceramic bisque body and renders it impervious to liquids, as terracotta itself is not. Plain lead glaze is shiny and transparent after firing. Coloured lead glazes are shiny and either translucent or opaque after firing. Three other traditional techniques are tin-glazed, which coats the ware with an opaque white glaze suited for overglaze brush-painted colored enamel designs; salt glaze pottery, also often stoneware; and the feldspathic glazes of Asian porcelain. Modern materials technology has invented new glazes that do not fall into these traditional categories.
Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take varied forms, including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is a visual art. While some ceramics are considered fine art, such as pottery or sculpture, most are considered to be decorative, industrial or applied art objects. Ceramic art can be created by one person or by a group, in a pottery or a ceramic factory with a group designing and manufacturing the artware.
Willem Jansz Verstraeten was a Dutch Golden Age tin-glazed maiolica maker in Haarlem.
