Rare Gothic albarello with pseudo-Cufic decoration Majolica, blue decoration. Cylindrical over a conical rise, with biconical neck. Multi-zone stylized decoration with glaze rubbing, cracks. H 33.5 cm. Montelupo, around 1440 - 1450. The term "pseudo-Kufic", first used by Bernard Rackham and J.V.G. Mallett in 1977, stands for this type of decoration, which adorns the vessels in a non-representational ornamental manner based on the Islamic model. It was known in Italy in the 15th century through the similarly painted majolica from Valencia, which was imported in large numbers and inspired the ceramists in Montelupo to create their own interpretation. The few Albarelli attributed to this early group are largely in museum collections. A smaller example was auctioned as lot 2 at Pandolfini Casa d'Aste in Florence on October 28, 2014. Provenance Rhenish private collection. Literature Cf. Rackham/Mallett, Catalogue of Italian maiolica, Victoria & Albert Museum London 1977, no. 51, acc. no. 1143-1904, no. 52, acc. no. 1150-1904 and no. 68, acc. no. 1147-1904. Cf. Mez-Mangold, Apotheken-Keramik-Sammlung "Roche" catalog, Basel 1990, p. 99, inv. no. 244. Cf. Mariaux, La majolique. La faïence italienne et son décor dans les collections suisses XVe - VIIIe siècles, Geneva-Lucerne 1995, cat. No. 13, ill. p. 74. Cf. cat. Capolavori della maiolica rinascimentale. Montelupo fabbrica die Firenze 1400 - 1630, 2002, no. 12 (from a Tuscan private collection).