Taking the unusual form of an owl, this ‘cuccha’ by which dialect name such ‘vasi a civetta’ were known in Caltagirone, Sicily, probably hailed from the vast collection of maiolica pharmacy jars made for the Order of St John’s pharmacy or ‘spezieria’ at the Sacra Infermeria in Valletta. Marked by pronounced round eyes and a hawk-like beak, the detachable lid of this rather large and heavy vessel makes up the head of the owl while its closed wings and legs are defined by high relief on the voluminous globular body. Since such jars were typically of Caltagirone manufacture, where the owl was considered to be an emblem of fortune, this might explain the choice of this bird shape. It is decorated in full polychromy with superimposed layers of schematically depicted fan-like peacock-feather motifs that overall create a vividly-coloured pleasant pattern.
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