A Castelli maiolica drug jar circa 1545-55

of 'Orsini-Colonna' type, the baluster body with broad strap handle and curved yellow-ground serpent spout, flanked by blue-ground portraits of old men, one with long beard, the other with flowing moustaches, against an ochre ground painted with foliage in blue, above a drug label 'Oxizaccara', the reverse with simple blue scrolls

some flaking, a few minor chips
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The type takes its name from a celebrated bottle vase in the British Museum painted with the confronted bear and column emblems of the two families. A series of these brilliantly decorated jars is known, and was long attributed to Faenza and other central Italian towns.  The jars are now firmly attributed to Castelli. follwing the finding of shards in 1982 at an excavation on the hillside behind the house of the noted Castelli potter Orazio Pompei. The connection is further confirmed by a jar now in the Faenza Museum, inscribed 'Oc Opus Oratii'