SMALL ALBARELLO-STYLE WOODEN JAR, Delftware, white-glazed with lid, Dutch Antique

A small white-glazed Delft jar dating from the 17th to the 18th century. Its cylindrical form, gently waisted at the body, derives from the albarello (apothecary jar), widely used to store herbs and aromatics. After the Age of Discovery, Delftware spread across Europe as everyday ware and was mass-produced for uses such as ointment containers; in Japan, from the Edo period onward it was adopted into the world of the tea ceremony as objects used by analogy, employed as water jars and lid rests.

The rich, yogurt-like white produced by adding tin to a clear glaze was developed as a ground for the evolution of blue-and-white and polychrome decoration. Delft clay, fired at low temperatures, is fragile and, over the years, tends to flake and crumble. This piece also displays areas of glaze loss and exposed clay; like a canvas that records the passage of time, these marks help define the vessel’s character.

This piece was acquired from a local excavator during a journey to the Netherlands and is one of the collection’s prized items. It is accompanied by an exceptionally rare 18th-century wooden lid. Its rustic simplicity complements the vessel and evokes the atmosphere of everyday life from that period.

No problems were detected in an overnight leak test; however, as this is an antique ceramic, please exercise caution with prolonged use.