Apotropaic Ceramic Mask, Gennaro Condurso, Seminara, Italy

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

Dimensions: height 20 cm, width 15 cm, depth 9 cm.

This mask is entirely hand-modelled and glazed in a vivid, almost painterly combination of colours. Turquoise, red, green, dark blue, ochre, brown and white flow freely across the surface, giving the piece a very spontaneous and powerful character. The open mouth, hollow eyes, protruding tongue, horn-like forms and irregular modelling give it a strong, 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. They are part of an old folk tradition in which ceramics, ritual and decoration come together.

The reverse is signed by the artist and has an opening for hanging, allowing the mask to be easily placed on a wall. Each piece is unique, with small differences in shape, colour and glaze that emphasise its handmade character.

Today, this mask works beautifully as a decorative wall object: powerful, playful and authentic. A striking accent among ceramics, folk art, wabi-sabi objects or contemporary art.