Plural of albarello; decorative earthenware jars used by apothecaries and pharmacists, especially in Renaissance Europe.
From Italian albarello, possibly from Arabic al-barīl (barrel) or a similar root referring to cylindrical containers. These jars became iconic features of Renaissance pharmacies and still appear in museum collections.
Albarelli are so beautiful that museums now display them as art, but they were originally practical containers for storing medicines, herbs, and compounds—proving that functional design can be genuinely beautiful!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.