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Source Description
Depictions of ancient myths were a popular subject for ceramic decoration during the Renaissance. This pharmacy jar features the myth of Perseus and Andromeda. According to Greek mythology, a sea monster was sent to destroy the kingdom of Ethiopia after Queen Cassiopeia offended the sea nymphs. To appease the gods, Andromeda was chained to a rock and offered as a sacrifice to the monster. Before the creature could devour her, Perseus flew in on his winged horse and slayed the beast.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
101706
label
Pharmacy Jar (Albarello)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
101706
contentType
object
title
Pharmacy Jar (Albarello)
description
Depictions of ancient myths were a popular subject for ceramic decoration during the Renaissance. This pharmacy jar features the myth of Perseus and Andromeda. According to Greek mythology, a sea monster was sent to destroy the kingdom of Ethiopia after Queen Cassiopeia offended the sea nymphs. To appease the gods, Andromeda was chained to a rock and offered as a sacrifice to the monster. Before the creature could devour her, Perseus flew in on his winged horse and slayed the beast.
date
c. 1550–70
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60756973
creators
5116
genreSpecific
Ceramic
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 28.9 x 16.5 cm (11 3/8 x 6 1/2 in.)
cul
Italy, Venice
accession
1920.421
Source extras
tec
tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica)
tombstone
Pharmacy Jar (Albarello), c. 1550–70. Circle of Domenego da Venezia (Italian). Tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica); overall: 28.9 x 16.5 cm (11 3/8 x 6 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of J. H. Wade, 1920.421
collection
Decorative Arts
didYouKnow
Featuring a fashionably clad gentleman’s torso, this pharmacy jar displays the coat of arms of the Hercolani family, who made their fortune dealing in textiles for men’s clothing.
citations
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 95
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 95
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.<br>Published as: <em>Majolica Albarello.</em>
page_number
Reproduced: p. 108
creditline
Gift of J. H. Wade
updatedAt
2026-05-29 11:27:00.408000
sourceId
101706
dept
Decorative Art and Design
coll
Decorative Arts
med
tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica)
creatorTags
male
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
9739f4bd0059e9b1