British and Continental Ceramics & Glass - 22nd January 2026
Lot 1066
AN ITALIAN MAIOLICA WET DRUG JAR
Estimate £800 - £1,200 | Hammer £1016
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Description
AN ITALIAN MAIOLICA WET DRUG JAR
DATED '1545'
the ovoid body inscribed 'A. DE. BVGALOSSA' in a cartouche surrounded by fruit and flowers, the shoulder with a green spout and strap handles
18.5cm
Catalogue Note
This jar would have held Bugloss, a plant closely related to borage. The name bugloss comes from the ancient Greek and means 'ox's tongue', and its flowers are normally violet-blue. Its roots are believed to be diuretic. Early modern herbalists believed that a decoction of the seeds, preferably in wine, banished melancholy and lifted the mood.