Ceramic Planters, Sicilian

“This is a very striking pair of  vintage Sicilian “Testa di Moro” hand-painted ceramic planters, made in Italy circa 1970s–1990s.

These colourful majolica-style heads depict the Moorish king and Sicilian woman from a famous Palermo legend in which a betrayed lover beheaded her Moorish suitor and used his head as a planter for basil.

The story inspired the traditional Sicilian decorative ceramics still produced today. Richly detailed with crowns, fruit and drapery, both pieces stand approximately 16–18 cm high and remain in excellent decorative condition with only light age-related crazing typical of majolica glaze.”