The Story: Italy does not arrive quietly. It arrives in color, in myth, in the hands of artists who have spent their lives learning how to make clay remember something ancient. NETTUNO is carried by hand from a studio in Roges di Rende, Cosenza, Calabria — the sun-baked toe of Italy's boot, where the sea is not a backdrop but a way of life. Maurizio Orrico, whose sculpture and installation work has shown at the Venice Art Biennale and the Shanghai Expo, and Enrica Vulcano, trained at NABA, shaped him together. Finished in a deep ocean blue matte — the color of the Mediterranean at depth — his crown erupts in hand-sculpted coral branches, sea creatures, and shells, in OVO's signature graphite and matte enamel finish that gives each surface a depth no machine can replicate. Any imperfection you find is not a flaw. It is the hand.
His name is Neptune in Italian — god of the sea, ruler of depths with no bottom. To place him in your home is to invite the sea itself inside: its power, its stillness, its eternal motion. This is not a purchase. It is an arrival — a limited edition sculpture, carried across the water, each one accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. He has been waiting for exactly the right place.
The Legend: In the tradition of Italian romantic tragedy — in the spirit of Romeo and Juliet — a love story unfolded so consuming it refused to simply end.
During the time of Arab rule in Sicily, a beautiful young woman tended her balcony with devotion — her plants, her flowers, her small world of beauty above the street. A Moorish merchant passed below, fell captivated, and told her of his feelings. What followed was a passionate love, immediate, absolute. For a time, it was everything.
Then came the betrayal. She discovered he was leaving — returning to the East, to a wife and children she had never known existed. The romance that had felt eternal had been, for him, a chapter. For her, it was the whole story.
Consumed by heartbreak and fury, she decided to never let him go and, as the legend goes, transformed him into something eternal, turning his head into a vase and planting a sprig of basil inside. She watered it with her tears and the basil grew luxuriantly, lush and fragrant beyond all reason. The neighbors noticed and began creating their own in ceramic— and so the legend spread. Regal, crowned, placed on balconies across Sicily, the testa di moro became a symbol of love, abundance, and good fortune. Centuries later, it remains one of Italy's most beloved icons. A story of loss, yes — but more than that, a symbol of love so fierce it grew into something beautiful. And never stopped growing.
Artist Studio: OVO · Maurizio Orrico & Enrica Vulcano · Roges di Rende, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy Medium: Handcrafted ceramic with powdered graphite and opaque matte enamel Finish: Matte · Deep Ocean Blue · Color Code KK31 Dimensions: 45cm H · 20cm D · 16.5cm D (approximately 17.7" H · 7.9" D) Weight: Approximately 4–5kg Edition: Limited · Each piece unique Certificate: Authenticity certificate included
Each MorOVO ships directly from our partner studio in Calabria, Italy. Please allow 2–3 weeks for delivery. Complimentary shipping included. Expedited delivery available on select pieces — contact us to arrange.
Every purchase illuminates lives, cultures and communities across the world. LUXUL COLLECTIVE — Light Reflects Light.