Sicilian Moor's Heads

Pair of Caltagirone Moor heads with jewels on the turban made and decorated entirely by hand by master craftsmen of Sicily.

Height 26 cm.

The Moro 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 tells of a girl who lived at the beginning of 1100 AD, beautiful and dedicated to taking care of her plants on the balcony of her house in Palermo, in the Kalsa district, who fell madly in love with a Moro soldier, who was also overwhelmed by the passion for nice lady.

According to one version of the legend, the girl was deceived by the soldier: he was actually married with children, as well as ready to abandon her to return to his homeland. The discovery of this betrayal pushed the girl to kill her lover in his sleep, behead him and use his head as a vase for basil, which was then put on display on the balcony of the house. Again according to the tragic legend, the basil grew so luxuriant that it aroused the envy of all the neighbors, who began to have the artisans make vases in the shape of a head , i.e. the current Moor's heads (also called Turks' Heads by some), 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 dark brown heads as a couple is a symbol of passion and love that surpasses time.