When Ceramics Possess Magical Powers

The Ceramic Art of Seminara in Calabria - Ancient, Mystical & Divine

MÌA Magazine © Sabina Muriale

Calabria is still one of the lesser-known regions of Italy. When people think of southern Italy, it is usually the city of Naples and the regions of Puglia or Sicily that are chosen as holiday destinations. Yet Calabria, besides its wonderful sandy beaches and its great cuisine, has an ancient craft tradition that is well worth discovering. The art of making ceramics is just one of many. Let's take a closer look at the historical shapes and motifs that are significant for Calabrian ceramics. 

In Calabria, ceramic art has been highly valued since ancient times. This should not surprise us, as ceramics are among the most interesting products of a civilisation's material culture. They tell us a lot about its characteristics, uses, and traditions. According to the archaeologist Renato Peroni (1930-2010), Calabria was the first region of the Italian peninsula where the use of the potter's wheel was introduced. There have been traces of ceramics and pottery since prehistoric times, but its greatest glory was certainly reached during the Magna Graecia[1]. Rooted in the culture of the Greek motherland and mixed with local artisans, in the early Middle Ages, Calabrian ceramics were further influenced by Byzantine, Coptic, and even middle eastern ceramics from Sicily. 

This amalgam of different cultures and their craft techniques still characterise Calabrian ceramics today and underline their uniqueness. Even Pablo Picasso was said to be fascinated by this artisan craftwork. According to oral tradition, his words were: “These pieces have been conceived by hands of gold that express a past that no longer exists, but thanks to these ceramics will continue to live on.”[2]

However, there is a part in the Calabrian craftsmanship history that cannot go unmentioned. Over the centuries, Calabria had become a flourishing trading centre thanks to the presence of the Jews, who were primarily responsible for the trade of precious crafted goods. Their expulsion, ordered by Emperor Charles V in 1510, is also held responsible for the impoverishment of Calabrian ceramic art during that century – and the contraction that affected the trade of silk. Only a few remaining centres survived this incision. Furthermore, there were devastating earthquakes that repeatedly struck the inhabited areas destroying many workshops and their kilns. 

Today, the history of this art and its popularity unite several Calabrian towns, known for the production of artistic ceramics, including Gerace, Seminara, Bisignano, Squillace, and Gerocarne, each with their own inherited ceramic styles and traditions of diverse origins. 

In this article, we will take you on a journey through the little village of Seminara and its famous ceramics. A small municipality in the metropolitan city of Reggio Calabria, situated just a few kilometres from the Thyrennian Sea, this little centre sits on the northern slope of the Aspromonte, Calabria’s beautiful mountain massif.

The significance of Seminara relies on its long history of terracotta production, owing to the area’s abundance of red and white clay.

In the 18th century, Seminara was indeed famous for its ceramics, just like Caltagirone in Sicily. The particular feature of this picturesque town is that it still uses a polychrome glazed engobe technique of Byzantine origin, with the predominant colours being green, yellow, blue, and brown. Vibrant colours derived from natural sources. Not to mention the unique shapes that refer to ancient Greek mythological, folkloric, propitiatory, and divinatory traditions linked to the world of mother nature. Seminara ceramics are indeed imaginative, allegorical creations full of ancient history, hidden meanings, and even magical power. They are so numerous that we can only focus here on the most common ones. 

The abundance of local raw materials certainly supported the development of clay processing. Both red and white clay were present in large quantities in the districts of S. Antonio and Ponte Vecchio; as well as, among other things, one of the essential elements for the production of glazes such as enamel: the silicate was found in Seminara or in the neighbouring areas (Gambari and Tropea). 

Seminara’s pottery can be divided into two broad categories, functional and artistic:

the former were objects of everyday use (glasses, plates, cups, bricks, bombole = a bellied vessel, etc.); while the second ones had a folkloric-animistic-religious significance, e.g. masks depicting those used for cathartic purposes in Greek theatre and have now been used for generations to ward off evil spirits or the "malocchio", the evil eye. It is precisely this type of ceramics, their extraordinary character, and their ancient history that has caught our eye.

Let’s start with the most popular ones, the "babbaluti"[3] or "babbuini"[4]. The babbaluti are anthropomorphic bottles of various sizes whose production dates back to the period of the Bourbon rule in Calabria (18th century). It was an era of strong popular discontent towards Spanish domination that led the artisans to depict in a caricaturistic way first, the appearance of the Spanish gendarmes, then that of the Bourbon soldiers, and finally, of the local landowner. Any person on duty by whom the population felt somehow oppressed was mocked in clay. 

Other interesting objects are the apotropaic[5] masks, already mentioned before, with grotesque and deformed appearances, used since antiquity for decorative or superstitious purposes. If you look closely at the terrifying faces, you can see the image of Medusa and her two sisters Steno and Euriale, who have gone down in history as the "Gorgons". But also the witty laughter of the fauns and satyrs. There are no limits to the imagination. Still today, local people use them to keep away evil spirits from their homes. They have a protective function against the evil eye and are set on walls next o front doors or close to balconies and windows or wherever evil might enter from. These masks have dangling tongues, wild-looking eyes, and sticking-out horns. The devil, himself an ugly-looking creature, would think twice before messing with this countermagic. 

The "porroni a riccio", are round jugs with embossed ornaments shaped as hedgehogs and artichokes. The hedgehog, for example, is linked to fertility, recalling the sexual act with its bristling spines. But there is another interpretation of the figure that seems more plausible: it has the shape of a sea urchin ("riccio di mare" in Italian) which actually represents the sun and its rays. However, these vessels were used to predict rainfall. They were filled with water and set outside. After an unknown period of time if the water evaporated the locals believed a drought was coming. But if there was still water in it, the coming season would be blessed with enough rain and a good harvest. 

A Christian tradition is represented in the fish-shaped flasks or drinking bottles which had a votive purpose and were used by pilgrims on their religious journey across Seminara, on their way to Rosarno, to worship San Rocco. This kind of an ichthyomorphic (= a figure in ancient art resembling a fish) flask, in particular, goes back to a very old model, that of the Roman "rhytons", from which fluids were intended to be drunk or to be poured in some ceremony. Only later the fish became a symbol of Christ and now, these flasks are a popular souvenir for tourists.

The "gabbacumpari" (drink if you can or “bevi se puoi” in Italian) or also called „vucali cu'ngannu“ is definitely our favourite object as it captures the Calabrese spirit perfectly. It represents a wine jug with an amassment of holes and spouts from which only the particularly skilled can drink. This flask, specifically designed for wild drinking games, requires the drinker to cover the right opening, otherwise, the liquid will spill out everywhere but the spout.

The "flaskokrùkella" or "ciambello", on the other hand, is a more elegant, ring-shaped drinking vessel that is supposed to symbolise the woman's body. Its doughnut-shaped opening made it easy to carry on the arm, especially when peasants were travelling to work in the fields or it could be easily carried on a saddle, pack or shoulder. According to a legend, sparked by a local orthodox Bishop from the 12th century, the wine contained in such a vessel is dangerous for men and can lead to fuzzy thinking or even crime. (We want to believe women back then simply refused to share their wine or fresh spring water with men who believed such nonsense and went on minding their own business.) However, the shape of those flasks allowed the vessel to be placed on the forearm, thus freeing the hands and allowing the drink to be taken 'by raising the elbow' without putting down the sickle or the spade. Moreover, it allowed liquids to be kept cool when immersed in the water of streams or rivers. How convenient, isn’t it?  

In conclusion, if you already had some sort of association with Calabrian pottery, it is most likely linked to the distinguished artistry from Seminara described above. Rich in ancient knowledge, with a cultural tradition that combines history, art, symbolism, and rituality, Seminara is definitely one of the most famous centres of ceramic production in the province. Its objects all have one thing in common: they display great wit and humour and a contagious lust for life. Another aspect of the Calabrese attitude to life.