A French faïence albarello c.1690-1740, the slightly waisted form painted in blue with a shaped cartouche inscribed `Conf. flor. Urticae` beneath a basket of flowers, the reverse with a large flowering plant, the base broken out and restuck, 14.2cm. Cf. Rudolf E A Drey, p.105, pl.50B for a similar example. Urtica is the Latin name for the common stinging nettle, which has a variety of medicinal and culinary uses, although the leaves and roots are more commonly used than the flowers.