Left: Apothecary jar with ornamental bands and leaf motifs, Italy, Faenza, 1470 – 1480, earthenware, Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics (on loan from Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed).
Right: Albarello with decoration of bands and dots, Antwerp or northern Netherlands, approx. 1600, earthenware, Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics (on loan from Fries Museum).
The albarello (apothecary jar) originates from the Middle East. Via Spain and Italy, the shape arrived in the Netherlands virtually unchanged. The tin-glazing technique was also adopted, as were the decorations. The motifs on the Dutch albarello are much simpler than those on the Italian, but the colours are virtually the same.