The inscription on the side of this albarello, or pharmacy jar, reads 'DIA CODION' in Latin. Translated, it suggests that the the jar formerly contained codium, a substance more commonly known as poppy. Painted on the side of the jar, two men with horns jointly saw the horn off of a ram's skull. Because this scene seems to contradict the inscription, this jar requires further interpretation. Rasmussen, Jörg. The Robert Lehman Collection, Vol. 10. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987, p. 57: www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/The_Robert_Lehman_Collection_Vol_10_Italian_Majolica

Albarello