Off the coast of Sfax, the Kerkennah islands form a Tunisian archipelago lying almost flush with the Mediterranean, a world of fishermen and artisans where, for generations, people have worked with what the sea, the palms, and the land provide. It is from this world that this superb large ceramic dish originates, still bearing on its reverse its circular stamp "Poterie – Kerkennah" (Pottery – Kerkennah), now patinated and partially faded by time. Approximately 32 cm in diameter, it was turned on a wheel and then entirely hand-decorated. The fine concentric lines still visible on the reverse wonderfully tell the story of its creation: before the colors and decoration, there was the earth and the potter's touch. On a warm, sand-colored background, the artisan has composed a true Mediterranean garden. Reddish-brown arabesques surround deep green leaves, intense blue flowers, turquoise accents, and delicate black latticework. Everywhere, small white dots illuminate the composition and give it its distinctive movement. The design is generous, almost exuberant, yet remarkably balanced. It radiates from its central motif like a star and freely blends geometry and vegetation. As one looks at the piece, new details emerge: a flower, a leaf, a grid pattern, a few cobalt dots. Nothing is perfectly mechanical, and that is precisely what makes it beautiful. It bears the nuances, the subtle variations, and the charming irregularities of an object truly shaped by hand. This ceramic piece retains something of the Kerkennah islands. The colors of the sand and the Mediterranean, of course, but also this ancient way of transforming an everyday object into an object of beauty. The dish can leave the table to become a true decorative piece. On a console, a large bookshelf, or simply placed on an easel, it immediately catches the eye. Hung on the wall, alone or amidst a collection of ceramics, it almost takes on the presence of a painting. Its antique charm, its turning marks, and its hand-painted decor give it what new objects struggle to imitate: an origin, a human touch, and a history.
Additional details:
- Brand: Poterie Kerkennah
- Style: tunisien
- Style: méditerranéen
- Material: terre
- Colour: brun rouge
- Colour: vert profond
- Colour: bleu intense
- Colour: noirs
- Colour: blanches
- Colour: couleur de sable
- Colour: cobalt