08-25-2025, 12:30 PM
Why I Chose Maiolica Vessels for the Suit of Cups in The Alchemical Tarot Reimagined
"Besides bowls and plates, the most common objects that the artists chose to decorate were apothecary jars called albarello, and apothecary vases with or without handles. They were designed to hold medicinal herbs, spices, dyes, or ointments and they livened up the shelves of apothecaries in Italy’s cities. The flared lip on the albarello allowed the apothecary to cover the jar with a piece of parchment or cloth and tie it closed with a piece of string. This sealed the contents and kept them fresh. The parchment was often bleached white so that the contents of the jar could be written on it. Sometimes the label was glazed directly onto body of the vessel instead. The apothecary as well as the physician in the Renaissance were both considered to be practicing branches of alchemy (modern chemistry did not emerge from alchemy until the mid-17th century). So, to my mind, it is fair to consider these colorful vases examples of alchemical vessels."
Interesting, beautifully-illustrated article.
https://robertmplacetarot.com/2025/08/20...eimagined/
"Besides bowls and plates, the most common objects that the artists chose to decorate were apothecary jars called albarello, and apothecary vases with or without handles. They were designed to hold medicinal herbs, spices, dyes, or ointments and they livened up the shelves of apothecaries in Italy’s cities. The flared lip on the albarello allowed the apothecary to cover the jar with a piece of parchment or cloth and tie it closed with a piece of string. This sealed the contents and kept them fresh. The parchment was often bleached white so that the contents of the jar could be written on it. Sometimes the label was glazed directly onto body of the vessel instead. The apothecary as well as the physician in the Renaissance were both considered to be practicing branches of alchemy (modern chemistry did not emerge from alchemy until the mid-17th century). So, to my mind, it is fair to consider these colorful vases examples of alchemical vessels."
Interesting, beautifully-illustrated article.
https://robertmplacetarot.com/2025/08/20...eimagined/