Albarello

An albarello is a type of ceramic jar traditionally used by apothecaries to store medicines and dried herbs. The term is Italian in origin and was widely used across Europe to denote a class of pharmacy jars that emerged in the late Middle Ages and flourished during the Renaissance.

Most albarelli were made of tin-glazed earthenware, or maiolica, though later examples appear in other tin-glazed wares such as Delftware. They typically have a tall, cylindrical body with a narrow, sometimes elongated neck and a fitted lid. Decoration is common, with polychrome paintings of floral motifs, vignettes, saints, or allegorical scenes, and inscriptions naming the stored substance or its dosage. Numbers or apothecary marks might be painted on the surface.

Albarelli originated in Italian ceramic centers such as Deruta, Faenza, Montelupo Fiorentino, and Gubbio, and were later produced throughout Europe. By the 16th through 18th centuries, their standardized shape and legible labels made them practical tools in pharmacies, helping to organize complex pharmacopeias. Some jars bore the names of herbs, chemicals, or Latin pharmacopeial terms, and the lids helped protect contents from moisture.

In museum collections, albarelli are valued for their artistic decoration as well as their historical function. While the use of these jars declined with the modernization of pharmaceutical packaging, the form influenced later ceramic and glass containers and remains a symbol of early European pharmacy.