Italian, Castelli, Mid-16th Century

Bonhams London, 15 June 2016, lot 9;

Where acquired by Aso O. Tavitian.

Albarelli, such as the present pair, were often used by pharmacists in Renaissance Italy to hold various drugs, medicinal herbs or tinctures. Their cylindrical shape, with waisted central sections, was specifically designed to be easily handled by their owners. Often times the designs adorning the vessel would allude to the maker of the vessel or the shop where they were being used, while the inscriptions indicated their contents. Given the inscriptions on the present pair of albarelli, we can assume they held substances relating to coffee and juice, respectively.