Magna Graecia Poppea Bust by Antonio Aricò

Magna Graecia is a terracotta collection designed by Antonio Aricò for Seletti and unveiled at Maison&Objet in January 2023. The name refers to the Greek cities of Southern Italy, and the pieces draw on their vocabulary: capitals, meander friezes, waves, antique busts, and amphorae with battle scenes. Aricò chose terracotta for its ordinariness—"a seemingly very poor material with which one can create magic," he told designboom—and for its raw color and irregular thickness, which he celebrates rather than corrects. The pieces are shaped using handmade molds, which explains why no two are exactly alike: the shade and surface finish vary from one piece to the next. The designer intends them for a terrace, garden, or veranda just as much as for a living room or entryway. Seletti, however, provides no information regarding glazing, frost resistance, or watertightness: for outdoor use, a sheltered location remains the prudent choice. All pieces in the series share the same clay, allowing them to be grouped together without worrying about variations in finish.

The origins of the design

Magna Graecia refers to the cities founded by Greek settlers on the coasts of Southern Italy and in Sicily starting in the 8th century BCE. Aricò, born and based in Calabria, draws inspiration motif by motif: the Dorico vase cites the Doric order, the Greca vase the meander frieze, the Onda vase the tracing of a wave; the statues recall the Riace bronzes, and the head vases revive the tradition of ceramic heads from Caltagirone. As for the capital, it no longer supports anything: it serves as a base or pedestal. The collection forms an archaeological repertoire treated without solemnity, which the publisher presents as a work of contemporary irony.