Caltagirone Moor's heads with lemons placed on the sides, entirely handmade by master craftsmen from Sicily.
Height approximately 31cm.
The Moor's heads depict a man and a woman, protagonists of a legend that has enchanted admirers of Sicilian history and culture for almost a thousand years.
Legend has it that a young girl, who lived at the beginning of 1100 AD, was very beautiful and devoted to caring for her plants on the balcony of her house in Palermo, in the Kalsa district. She fell madly in love with a Moorish soldier, who was also overwhelmed by passion for the beautiful lady.
According to one version of the legend, the girl was deceived from the soldier: actually married and with children, and ready to abandon it to return to his native land. The discovery of this betrayal pushed the girl to kill her lover in his sleep, to behead him and to use his head as a vase for the basil, which was then put on display on the balcony of the house. According to the tragic legend, the basil grew so luxuriant that it aroused the envy of all the neighbors, who began to have theirs made by craftsmen vases in the shape of a head , that is, the current Moor's heads (also called by some Turks' heads), a symbol of passion and love that must not be betrayed.
According to another version of the legend, the two lovers were both killed and beheaded by her family, who did not approve of their love story, and their heads were put on display as a warning against illicit unions. From this story, the depiction of the Moor's heads as a couple is symbol of passion and love that transcends time.
Firing at 950°. Fire signature and guarantee certificate.
Colors and shades may differ slightly from the photo. Since these are 100% handmade products, any imperfections are part of the manufacturing process and attest to the originality of the products.
