Ceramic Bowl from the Cyclades - Ictus

This ceramic bowl, hand-thrown and hand-painted in Sifnos, in the Cyclades, features the ichtus motif—or ichthys, which means “fish” in Greek. Drawing on ancient Mediterranean symbols, this motif is rendered here in a traditional blue-and-white design, dear to Nikos and his family. Painted freehand, without a preliminary sketch, each fish appears to swim freely across the glaze. No two pieces are exactly alike, as if the sea, the wind, and the light had left their mark on the ceramic. One need only gaze at it to feel drawn into the Mediterranean.

Here, the tradition dates back to antiquity. Pottery made on this small Cycladic island has long been transported by boat, delivered from village to village all the way to Athens. In the workshop located in the north of the island—which has no specific address; you find it by following directions from neighbors—pottery has been a family business for over a century. In the summer, production ramps up to meet the demand from vacationers and regular customers; the rest of the year, Nikos takes the time to create pieces for Athens’s upscale neighborhoods and for La Maison de Commerce Paris.

The style of this tableware is based on subtle contrasts: a perfect balance between perfection and imperfection, simple designs, clean lines, and bright colors. Timeless—if not eternal—this bowl evokes, in its own way, the sea, the sun, and that gentle wildness that characterizes the island.

Note: Entirely hand-painted, each design is unique. Shades may vary—lighter or darker, more subtle or more pronounced—and the fish always swim in different poses, carried by the waves… or the artisan’s imagination.