Teste di Moro

Vases Acrylic painting Terracotta
Single artwork

850,00

Description by the artist

Cold painted ceramic. Inspired by Sicilian culture I painted on a white background the Sicilian Moor’s  Heads with an essential and minimalist style, bringing out the typical colors of my Sicily.

Details and dimensions

Dimensions (cm): Height 70, Width 35
Weight (kg): 10
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 Moor’s 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. Moor’s 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 head. 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: Two Sicilians in 1800

The Governance also suggests

The objective of the Governance is both to safeguard the traditions and ancient crafts of the people of Sicily, and to sustain economically the Artisans and the Artists, both the real ethno-anthropologists of the country.
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Teste di Moro

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