of waisted cylindrical form on a short splayed base and sloping shoulder with everted rim, painted in underglaze cobalt blue, yellow, green, brown and black, with four C-scrolls forming an oval enclosing the portrait of Ibn Sina, Italian inscription below, surrounded by scrolling tendrils issuing acanthus leaves, floral rosettes and palmettes reserved on a cobalt blue ground, the shoulder and underbody with zigzag and foliate bands

This albarello was made in Palermo towards the end of the sixteenth century. The style of decoration around the body is known as a quarteri and was imported by potters from mainland Italy from the famous pottery town of Faenza; this appears to be one of the earliest made in this Faenza style. One of the first Sicilian potters to work in this style is presumed to be Vincenzo di Marco, of whose work seven monogrammed pieces are known. Although this albarello does not have di Marco's monogram, the similarities in style and decoration with monogrammed pieces strongly suggest that this albarello is from his workshop. The turbaned figure in profile is named Avicenno, clearly identifying him as the famous Muslim physician and scientist, Ibn Sina, and is one of a small number of albarelli bearing the name of this scholar. Another albarello with the name Viceno is in the Museo Civico di Bologna, and is illustrated in Antonello Governale, Rectoverso la Maiolica Siciliana, Palermo, 1986, p.21 (fig.3) and p.25).