albarello

thumb|Blue and white albarello adorned with the traditional colors of Chinese Porcelain and decorated with designs derived from Kufic script, a style of Arabic script. Manufactured in Tuscany, Italy in the second half of the 15th century. An albarello (a name of Italian descent, plural: albarelli) is also known as a "maiolica drug jar" because of the type of tin glaze used, known as Maiolica (also known as majolica). This cylindrical storage unit is used for a plethora of purposes, most commonly for drug storage in pharmacies as a medicinal jar. The jar was also used for other purposes such as storing dried fruit, herbs, balms, and apothecaries' ointments and dry drugs.

== Function == People usually stored their albarelli in buildings with medical purposes, like pharmacies, hospitals, and doctors' offices. Such jars served both functional and decorative purposes in traditional apothecaries and pharmacies, and represented status and wealth. The jars were generally sealed with a piece of parchment or leather tied with a piece of cord. Hospitals often used albarelli to hold products such as ointments, balms, and different remedies for patients. Albarelli were also utilized in ways other than their originally intended purpose, including holding perfume, as a form of décor, and as vases to display flowers.