Italian, Tuscany, second quarter 15th century

painted in 'zaffera a rilievo' and manganese with contour panels of initials 'l' and 'r'

Dr. Emil W. Weinberger, Vienna;
his sale, C. J. Wawra, Vienna, 22nd-24th October 1929, no. 32;
The Blumka collection, Sotheby's New York, 9th-10th January, 1996, lot 3

Dr. J. Chompret, Répertoire De La Majolique Italienne, Paris 1949, p. 82, fig. 645

There are typical flakes of glaze loss, and chips to rims - one chip at the rim with an associated short hairline crack. There is a small patch of restoration to each side of the jar, located just under each letter, probably covering glaze loss.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Traditionally assigned to the latter years of the fifteenth century, the celebrated early maiolica 'oak leaf' jars now seem to have been in production even earlier, with orders of nearly six hundred such jars fulfilled by the workshop of Maso and Miniato di Domenico in 1427, and of around a thousand by the workshop of Giunta di Tugio in 1431.