Ancient large glazed terracotta bowl

Exceptional large vintage terracotta bowl, handcrafted and adorned with a remarkably rich enamel decoration. Through its patterns and technique, it belongs to the great tradition of Hispano-Moresque or North African ceramics, inheriting several centuries of ornamental refinement. Its decoration, likely created using the ‘cuerda seca’ technique — where each motif is carefully outlined with a dark line to separate the enamels — showcases a dazzling palette of cobalt blue, emerald green, ochre yellow, and pearlescent white. At the centre, a perfectly symmetrical flower radiates towards an intertwining of arabesque scrolls and volutes, resembling a stained glass window of earth and fire. The reverse, rough and unglazed, reveals the beautiful pinkish clay of the wheel. An original hanging string allows it to be displayed as wall decoration, for which it seems to have been intended. A piece of great beauty, to be used as a fruit bowl or hung as a standalone work of art.