Collection

Albarello with Scrolling Gothic Leaf Motif, c. 1460–1480

Possibly workshop of Matteo di Ranieri da Cagli and Ventura di Simone da Siena, Italian


By the late fifteenth century, polychrome wares had replaced the more limited palette of Severe-style majolica, adding new shades of gold and green. Plant forms predominated, particularly an elegantly scrolled “Gothic-floral” leaf. This motif is often combined with a wavy ray pattern associated with San Bernardino of Siena, as seen on this albarello from Faenza. Albarelli, cylindrical vessels of Near Eastern form, were widely used in pharmacies to store herbs, honey, and ointments.

Provenance

Provenance

(Luigi Grassi, London);

purchased by Kimbell Art Foundation, Fort Worth, 1979.