Sicilian Maiolica Pharmacy Bottle

A rare Sicilian maiolica pharmacy bottle of globular form with narrow flared neck, finely decorated with a polychrome portrait medallion of a turbaned figure in classical profile, derived from the humanist medallic tradition of the mid-16th century. The reverse with a rich blue ground painted with scrolling aquatic motifs and stylised foliage in yellow and green, the whole framed within horizontal bands at the neck.
The portrait roundel reflects the Renaissance revival of antiquity and the influence of numismatic imagery in southern Italian maiolica, especially in Sicily where such classicalising imagery remained in vogue well into the later 16th century. Pharmacy vessels of this type would have been produced for the apothecaries of wealthy noble households or religious institutions, serving both a functional and decorative role.
Provenance: Important Dutch collection.