Albarello
- Gallery: Room 46
- Culture: Naples
- Made in: Naples (city) (?; or district)
- Date: 1465-1480 (circa)
- Object type: albarello
- Materials: earthenware
- Museum number: 1856,0612.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is an albarello, a type of pharmacy jar used in the Renaissance. Hailing from Naples, this slightly waisted vessel is made of earthenware and covered in a presumed tin-glaze, a technique known as maiolica. The most striking feature is the painted crown and shield of arms on one side—richly detailed with colored panels that represent Aragon quarters Hungary, France, and Jerusalem. This likely belonged to Ferrante I of Naples, a key figure in 15th-century Neapolitan history. On the reverse side, a gothic-style floral design complements the heraldic elements. Albarellos like this were often associated with the royal court, and many bear coats of arms or even portraits. This one dates to around 1465–1480, a time of great cultural and artistic activity in Naples.
See it in person
Albarello is on display in Room 46 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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