A Spanish Lustreware Maiolica Vase

A striking Spanish maiolica albarello, richly decorated in cobalt blue and iron-red lustre with scrolling floral vines and stylised foliate ornament upon a creamy white ground. The elongated cylindrical form is painted in a bold rhythmic pattern of flowering stems, curling tendrils and palmette-like leaves, recalling the enduring Hispano-Moresque ceramic tradition that shaped Spanish pottery for centuries. Originally conceived as an apothecary vessel, the jar retains the elegant waisted form associated with traditional pharmacy wares, designed both for practical storage and visual display within monastic and domestic interiors.

The vivid palette, graphic decoration and softly crackled glaze give the piece a particularly decorative quality, while the visible firing and age marks speak to its utilitarian origins. A highly evocative example of nineteenth-century Spanish maiolica, combining the ornamental exuberance of earlier Iberian lustreware with the sculptural simplicity of the classic albarello form. Visible repairs.