Stories

Sicilian ceramics are quite easy to tell apart from mass-produced Chinese ones — they’re never absolutely perfect. The paint is applied by hand directly onto the white glaze, with no room for mistakes, so no two brushstrokes are exactly alike. And hand-painted pieces are usually signed on the back with the artist’s name, the region, or at least the words “dipinto a mano.”

You’ll see Teste di Moro almost everywhere in Sicily — two heads, one male and one female. And behind this beautiful ceramic tradition is a story that isn’t quite so lovely. According to one legend, a Sicilian girl fell in love with an Arab young man, only to discover that he had a wife and children and would soon be going back home. While he was sleeping, she cut off his head, turned it into a flowerpot and planted basil in it.

Historically, Via Garibaldi was the street of the berrettifici — workshops where caps were made. The craftsmen worked side by side, shared suppliers and customers: cooperation rather than competition. And even today, if I want a coppola not from an expensive boutique but simply a good cap for everyday life, this is the first place I go.