Covered Jar (Albarello)
Unknown Artist
second half 13th–14th century
Medium
Stonepaste; overglaze painted and leaf gilded (lajvardina)
Dimensions
H. 14 3/4in. (37.5cm) H with cover: 14 3/4in. (37.5cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Henry G. Leberthon Collection, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. A. Wallace Chauncey, 1957
Accession Number
57.61.12a, b
Art Historical Context
This elegant Covered Jar, known as an *albarello*, hails from the Islamic world during the second half of the 13 to 14th century. Standing at 14¾ inches tall with its lid, it exemplifies the refined ceramics produced in regions like Persia (modern-day Iran), where such vessels were prized for both utility and beauty. Albarellos were specifically designed for apothecaries to store medicinal herbs drugs, their cylindrical shape with a narrowed neck allowing easy access while preventing spills—a clever fusion of form and function that influenced European pottery traditions. Crafted from stonepas...