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Albarello
From the collection of National Museum of American History. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This albarello is decorated with rich yellow, blue, and green glazes. St. Sebastian is depicted within a yellow oval. One side of the jar is decorated with soldier’s armor, helmets, shields, and a drum all iconography associated with the martyrdom of St. Sebastian. The container’s shoulders are decorated with bands of acanthus leaves. St. Sebastian is the patron saint of archers and soldiers. When the Black Death was running rampant in 14th-century Europe, he became the patron saint of plague sufferers as well.
National Museum of American History’s own descriptionCredit lineAlbarello. 18th century. National Museum of American History, Gift of American Pharmaceutical Association and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. CC0.
