A FAENZA MAIOLICA ARMORIAL WAISTED ALBARELLO
Lot 281

A FAENZA MAIOLICA ARMORIAL WAISTED ALBARELLO

CIRCA 1550

Closed17 April 2013

Price Realised

GBP 8,125

More Information

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A FAENZA MAIOLICA ARMORIAL WAISTED ALBARELLO
CIRCA 1550
Painted in yellow, ochre, green and blue with a bust-length portrait of a bearded man in profile to the right, within a yellow-ground medallion inscribed ·TURPIN· in blue, within an acanthus border, above the inscription syo.agrimonia in blue gothic script on a label with scrolling ends, the reverse with a circular medallion enclosing the arms of a hound in landscape below three stars, surrounded by flowerhead medallions, lozenges enclosing foliage and scrolling acanthus, the lower part with a band of flowerhead medallions, with yellow band borders, short hairline crack to neck and chipping to upper rim
11 in. (28 cm.) high

Anonymous sale; Christie's, London, 2 July 1979, lot 35.

Specialist note

The portrait on this albarello may be Archbishop Turpin (sometimes referred to as Tilpin), who was Archbishop of Reims during the late 8th century. He was present at the Council of Rome in 769 and Pope Adrian I bestowed on him the pallium, confirming the rights of his church. The Historia Caroli Magni, a 12th century forged chronicle of legendary material about Charlemagne's alleged conquest of Spain was incorrectly attributed to him.

The label refers to Agrimonia eupatoria, a drug prepared with the herb Argrimony, which was used to relieve a wide range of symptoms and conditions from sore throats to liver problems.

For other Faenza albarelli, bottles and syrup-jars painted with named portraits of figures from Classical history, mythology and the Bible, see Rudolf E.A Drey, Apothecary Jars, London, 1978, pp. 50-53 and Jeanne Giacomotti, Catalogue des majoliques des musées nationaux, Paris, 1974, pp. 313-316.