Apotropaic Ceramic Mask by Gennaro Condurso, Seminara, Italy, 2010s

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Description

An expressive contemporary ceramic mask from Seminara, the well-known pottery village in Calabria, made by Gennaro Condurso, a member of … Read more An expressive contemporary ceramic mask from Seminara, the well-known pottery village in Calabria, made by Gennaro Condurso, a member of a ceramic family that has been producing traditional pottery for generations.

Dimensions: height 22 cm, width 15 cm, depth 7 cm.

This mask is entirely handmade and glazed in vivid shades of green, combined with dark brown accents and a striking red tongue. The strong facial expression, open mouth, hollow eyes and curved horn-like forms give the piece a playful yet almost mythical presence.

In Southern Italy, such masks are known as maschere apotropaiche: protective masks traditionally hung on houses to ward off evil, misfortune or the evil eye. with their expressive appearance, they are at once ritual objects, folk art and decorative wall pieces.

The reverse is signed by the artist and has an opening for easy wall hanging. Each piece is unique, with small differences in shape, colour and glaze that underline its handmade character.

Today, this mask works beautifully as a decorative wall object: a bold, playful and authentic accent in an interior, perfect among ceramics, folk art, wabi-sabi objects or contemporary art. This piece has an attribution mark,
I am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
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