ALBARELLO IN THREE-COLOURED FAIENCE, VENETIAN KILN FROM THE SECOND HALF OF THE 16TH CENTURY decorated with cartouche with inscription of contents on a background of flowering branches, pharmacy emblem and heraldic coat of arms; glaze firing defects, minor glaze losses H 19.4 cm, diam. 12 cm AN ARMORIAL VENICE MAIOLICA ALBARELLO, SECOND HALF 16TH CENTURY; FIRING DEFECTS, FEW MINOR GLAZE LOSSES Already known to the antiquarian market, this maiolica bears an unidentified heraldic coat of arms (at the time emblazoned as 'azure with a three-piece open and windowed gold fortress keep surmounted by three ill-ordered stars') and, in addition to the indication of its contents, a crusader emblem with the initials F and R. Despite some uncertainties regarding the provenance of this type of decoration (see, among others, A. Alverà Bortolotto, Maiolica a Venezia nel Rinascimento, Bergamo 1988, p. 81 nn. 44-45), a Venetian, or central-Italian workshop influenced by those in the lagoon area is proposed here.