Starting from the examination of Italian sixteenth-century albarelli surviving in Sicilian public and private collections, the author traces the theme of portraiture by analyzing the imaginary or historical characters represented in them. On the basis of existing historiography, a line is drawn between the decorative stylistic elements of majolica and the coeval modules representing the engravings and illustrations of the printed books of the second half of the 16th century.
Keywords: Sicily, 16th century, pharmacy jars, ceramic, portraits, engravings