Large armored baluster vase

Large covered baluster vase on pedestal in majolica of Faenza (Ferniani factory), with two handles formed by volutes supported by rocaille scrolls in relief enhanced with gold, with polychrome decoration on the base of the body of the episcopal coat of arms of the Albani family.
On one side is represented a king standing on a console and on the other side a kneeling man supporting an urn in a frame of terms, bacchic lovers, musician lovers, fantastic animals, snakes, foliage scrolls, shells and trellis background forming a frame.

The coat of arms is most likely that of Annibal Albani, born in Urbino in 1682 and died in Rome in 1751, cardinal-bishop of Sabina (1711) and then of Porto and Santa Rufina (1743). He was the nephew of Pope Clement XI and brother of Cardinal Alessandro Albani. This suggests that this vase may have belonged to the cardinal.

18th century, circa 1740