White Moor's Head with Yellow Turban - Sicilian Caltagirone Ceramic 30 cm

Moorish heads in Caltagirone ceramics - the King and Queen in Baroque style decorated in yellow

These Ceramic Heads depict the King and Queen decorated with a yellow turban in Baroque style with some orange shades, and black pearls on the face.

Furthermore, the Queen is also adorned with two large white earrings, and a black necklace. The King, on the other hand, is distinguished by his classic black mustache and always black goatee.

The Moorish heads in Caltagirone ceramics are known all over the world, they tell ancient legends linked to stories of love, passion and betrayal. Precious and highly sought after design objects that give class and elegance to any type of environment, classic or modern

The ornamental ceramic vases of the Moors are modeled and painted by hand and depict the face of a man or a woman, they are symbols of Sicily par excellence and tell the traditions, myths and legends of a Sicily full of emotions.

Used as precious furnishing objects, they give color and style to all environments, from classic to modern.

N.B. The objects made in Caltagirone ceramics are made entirely by hand, therefore shapes and colors may undergo slight variations compared to the object shown in the photo. Each object is decorated by hand and therefore unique. You will never find two identical sculptures, and also the small imperfections are a certificate of craftsmanship of these wonderful artistic masterpieces

Its dimensions are 19 x 30 cm.

HISTORY OF THE MOOR'S HEADS

The Moorish heads are one of the symbols that best represent the tradition of Caltagirone ceramics.

These small sculptures are often used as decorative elements to embellish houses, theatres, cinemas, but also squares and cities

Its legend has various facets, the most macabre begins in Palermo in the Arab quarter 'Al Hâlisah, today called the Kalsa, where the sultan once stayed, due to the Arab domination in Sicily.

The sultan, one day seeing a girl passing under his balcony, fell in love with her. The girl reciprocated and from here a love story was born.

But the story changed when the girl discovered that the sultan had a family and children in her country of origin, so during the night she killed him with a sword and cut off his head, which once severed she used as a flower vase on his balcony.

Another legend, perhaps more realistic, says that the girl, who was of noble origins, had a clandestine love affair with a young Arab. This love, which was impossible for the times, when it was discovered by the girl's family caused a stir, leading to the beheading of the two young lovers.

The shame of this love would later be proclaimed by posting both heads, transformed into vases for the occasion, on a balcony. The massacre, exalted by the heads placed on passers-by, would have been a warning against any other possible unseemly passion.

For this reason the Sicilian Moorish Heads are made in pairs, in memory and in honor of the two murdered lovers.