Left: Syrup jar with floral decoation and inscription, Italy, Faenza, 1533, earthenware, Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics (on loan from Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed).
Right: Syrup jar with floral decoration based on Italian example and inscription, Netherlands, 1580 – 1620, earthenware, Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics (on loan from Ottema-Kingma Stichting).
This apothecary jar clearly shows how shapes and decorations travelled to the North in the 16th century. At this time, Italian potters headed for cities such as Nevers and Antwerp. After the fall of Antwerp in 1585, many craftsmen fled further north, to Haarlem and Delft, among other places. This is how tin glaze ended up in the northern Netherlands.