Pharmacy bottle
Vessels of this shape, with long, narrow necks, were designed to hold liquid preparations. In this example, the inscription shows that it was meant to contain water of the bugloss plant, once valued as an antivenom. Such labels first appeared on Italian pharmacy jars in the mid-1400s and became commonplace by the end of the century. The striking peacock-feather ornament helps trace the bottle’s manufacture to the town of Pesaro, where it was a favorite design.
Artwork Details
- Title: Pharmacy bottle
- Date: ca. 1470–1500
- Culture: Italian, probably Pesaro
- Medium: Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)
- Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): 12 1/8 × 7 9/16 × 7 9/16 in. (30.8 × 19.2 × 19.2 cm)
- Classification: Ceramics-Pottery
- Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, by exchange, 1965
- Object Number: 65.6.5
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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Italian, Pesaro
probably ca. 1486–88
Spanish, Valencia
first half 16th century
Luca della Robbia
ca. 1455
Andrea della Robbia
ca. 1470–75
Fra Xanto Avelli da Rovigo
1532
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