Handmade Moro Heads from Sicily by Abhika

Sicilian traditional Moor-head shaped ceramic vase, hand made and hand-painted by the original artisanal producers from Caltagirone, Sicily.

Each piece is unique. 

Moor’s Head Vase legend

“Around 1100 a.D., when Sicily was ruled by the Moors, a beautiful Italian girl was living as a recluse spending her days cultivating flowers on her balcony. One day a young Moor passing by, saw her and fell immediately in love. He decided he had to have her and entered the house impetuously to declare his love. The young girl was shocked; she had not had contact with a man before, so she felt loved and desired for the first time and reciprocated this love. After a few weeks, she got to know him but he had to return to where he came from to his wife and children. Her heart was broken, all her expectations destroyed, and most of all, her reputation was ruined forever. She felt completely betrayed and mad with anger. She waited for the night to come and as he fell asleep she cut off his head, then she used it as a vase for her flowers and put it on her balcony displaying it to everyone. This way his love was forever hers. Since then, flowers grew lush in the vase and the neighbours, envious, built vases shaped like a Moor’s head. Even today on the Sicilian balcony you can admire these finely refined head vases called “teste di Moro”. 

Priced from $1,400.00