Vintage Bowl - Traditional Sicilian [Large]

Traditional Sicilian glazed terracotta bowl called Lemmo. The bowl itself was first glazed and then burned in a kiln at high heat to vitrify (melt) the glaze, and form a glass-like, waterproof layer, preventing the porous terracotta from absorbing water, thus making the bowl waterproof. The glaze must be fired to full maturity to create a completely functional, sealed surface, yet prevent the clay body from cracking. This difficult glazing technique comes from the Arab people during the time when they conquered Sicily and settled there, between 827 and 1061 AD.

Originally these bowls were used to prepare the tomato sauce preserve, and when the harvested olives needed a salt bath to remove their bitter taste before serving them. The salty water was changed multiple times to achieve the desired taste of the olives.

Nowadays the Lemmo bowls, traditional household objects that have a great charm and they stand as a symbol of Sicilianness, can be found in all sizes and colours, they also come as a souvenir. The smaller bowls are used to serve aperitives, ice cream, warm and cold antipasti, or as containers of spices and aromas, to make the day more colourful by the side of the stove, or we can find them in traditional restaurants as well.

These bowls, today re-evaluated, can be found in Sicilian shops of Ceramics and they are very sought after and in high demand, while the older, traditional pieces are even exhibited in various museums across the island of Sicily, on a themed basis.

Dimensions: 47 x 47 x 21cm