Lucia Marino

A fimmina cà frutta

Name: A fimmina cà frutta
SKU: 2880
Availability: InStock

Moor's heads Clay

Single artwork

€300,00 – €600,00

Description by the artist

A fimmina ca frutta Sicilian for “the woman with the fruit” . The decoration technique is very ancient, and the historical towns where it was born are Caltagirone, Sciacca and Santo Stefano di Camastra. The hand-decorated objects have the classic form, but I decided faithfully not to copy the historical decorations, but I chose a personal line and decoration. When I decorate I am inspired to enhance the beauty of the bisque itself by getting it through aging and decorating only the face the final effect that you get and I think it is harmonious and elegant . The bisque is first glazed with ivory glaze, then decorated, then baked at 950 °c and finally aged with a personal technique that characterizes most of my work.

Details and dimensions

Materials: Clay

Dimensions (cm): Height 25, Width 17, Depth 17

Weight (kg): 1.2

Handcrafted in Sicily

The artwork in the Sicilian culture

By the Governance of Sicilian Artisan Foundation

The Moor’s Heads are a classic representation of artistic Sicily. The Moors bring us back to the Arab domination in Sicily (IX-XI century). The Muslim period lasted almost two centuries but it is the one that has left the biggest imprint, probably, in the rich history of Sicily. Not so much in the monuments (very few) but in the daily life, in the etymology of many words, in the dialect, in the uses and customs. Moors are typical figures which come into play very often in Sicilian culture as for example in the Opera the Puppets or in the legend of the Moor’s heads. They tell of a legend in which a beautiful Sicilian fell in love with an Arab at the time that they reigned in Sicily (IX-XI century), being betrayed by the Moor, she beheaded him in his sleep and hung his head, as if it were a vase, on the balcony, also adorning it with a fragrant basil plant that aroused the admiration of unsuspecting bystanders. In a certain sense, the Arabs have never left Sicily.

(photo) A young Sicilian, cc 1800