English
trascription.
In this corridor, we can admire the collection of the Ceramics Museum. Some of the pieces displayed here can also be seen in other rooms in their contexts. The easy availability of clay in the region has made this craft very profitable since ancient times, resulting in a variety of forms and uses for the products. Let’s move closer to the first display case: here we can find plates used for main meals.
We immediately notice the peculiar artistic decorations that are schematically repeated in many products: floral, geometric motifs, and the rooster. The latter, often depicted in a pompous manner, was a good omen, symbolizing the arrival of the sun over darkness, hence rebirth and fertility. Among the plates, we can see the large-sized ones called “minzani” plates. In poorer families, the “minzanu” plate was placed “mmienzu” at the table, meaning in the center. Once filled with food, the entire family would eat from it. Below, we see the basins called “catini”, larger in size, used for washing vegetables. To the left of the display case, we observe the “pitari,” which are jars used to store oil, wine, and foodstuffs.
In the second display case, there are soup cups (coppi pi lu brotu) with predominantly blue floral decorations and a particular clay colander. Alongside it, the “ursuli,” small table jars with spouts containing water or wine. To the left, we see the “shtangati”: these containers come with a lid to ensure longer preservation of foodstuffs. They were used to store items such as ricotta “shcanti,” peppers, figs, chili peppers, etc. Usually, the content of the shtangato was kept pressed by a circular wooden board pushed down by the weight of a stone placed on top of it. Along with some “capase,” which are bulbous-shaped containers with a wide mouth and four handles, or cylindrical in shape. These, too, were used to preserve food, as terracotta is a good temperature insulator.
Let’s move to the next display case. On the top shelf, there are two oil dispensers and, to the right, a circular flask designed to be easily tied with a rope and carried over the shoulder. Below them, there are ornamental containers and a marbled terracotta milk bowl. Further down, there is fire-hardened terracotta crafted to withstand very high temperatures. Among the pots, there is a teapot mainly used for preparing “cucummedda” (chamomile), but also other herbs such as mallow or poppy.
We conclude with the “pignate”: vessels for cooking meat sauces, legumes, cereals, and fava bean puree. Moving on, we come across the “marruffi”. These containers were useful for making it easier to transport wine to the workplace.
Fourth display case: here you can admire the evolution of ceramic techniques. This now includes decorations both in the structure itself and in the painted designs, making ceramics primarily ornamental parts of the home. Let’s start with a wine flask called “cuccu.” On the top, there are jugs (“ciarle”) with floral decorations, including one with a marbled effect achieved by mixing pieces of differently colored terracotta and other blocks with a glazed effect. At the bottom, there are “minzani pi lu mieru,”
wine amphoras characterized by a wider mouth compared to the “marruffi,” useful for transferring wine from larger to smaller containers. To the left of the wine amphoras, there are water amphoras and smaller jars than the “marruffo” called “mmili.” The structure of these allowed the contained liquid to maintain the natural freshness of the water for a longer time, making them useful in the workplace.
In the last case, we see a collection of jars of various sizes and shapes. One glass stands out for its uniqueness: the jug “mbivi ci si capaci,” which translates to “drink if you can.” To drink from it without spilling, you had to plug a hole under the handle and sip from the spout, ensuring the liquid didn’t spill from the holes on the neck. On the ground to the left of the case, there are basins (“catini”) for washing laundry.
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