kateandjohnsail.boats

We have returned to Sicily, land of, among other things, lemons, volcanoes, and ceramics. When we were here last year, I noticed, in every shop window and on every balcony, pairs of ceramic planters in the shape of heads, lavishly decorated with crowns, jewelry, or fruit. What on earth? Sit down and listen to the origin story of the Testa di Moro (Head of the Moor):

Once there was a young woman in Palermo who spent her days tending plants on her balcony. A young Moor, visiting her city, saw her and fell in love. He declared his passion for her and they commenced a steamy relationship. In time, she heard that he had a wife and family waiting for him in his home country. Enraged with jealousy, she waited until he was asleep, cut of his head, and made the severed head into a planter (as one does). She planted basil in it and watered it with her tears. Her plants grew so luxuriously that her neighbors were envious and began to make planters in the same shape, hoping their plants would flourish as hers did.

I will leave interpretation of the tale and its connotations to you and the internet. The planters are often sold everywhere in Sicily, often in pairs, as décor or souvenirs.