Jar with Foliate Decoration

Unknown

mid-15th century

Tin-glazed earthenware

J. Paul Getty Museum

A tin-glazed earthenware jar decorated with foliate motifs in green, dark blue, and brown on a white background. The jar has a cylindrical body with a slightly flared rim and base. The influence of Islamic design on European art forms can be seen in this albarello-an Italian ceramic jar used as a storage container, primarily for medicine. Some of the vessel's patterns mimic Islamic motifs, and even its shape and method of decoration originated in the Middle East. Decorating the jar involved a type of glaze that created a white surface on which the ocher and dark-green ornament would appear bright and clear. This type of jar could be held easily because of its inward-curving sides, and the opening could be sealed with paper or parchment. The albarello shape was inspired by the use of bamboo segments as storage