Skip to main content

This antique shop in Ostuni has one of the largest collections of Puglia, ranging from suggestive jugs with the secret to pumas, to pupae and capase.

On the heel of Italy's boot and surrounded by glittering water on three sides, gorgeous Puglia was conquered by Greeks, Goths and Turks before rejoining Italy in the mid-19th century. The local tradition of ceramic art might have begun with these foreigners, but the acorn-shaped pigne you find in Puglia today are pure Italian.

These unusual decorative fixtures, ceramic and glazed in colours from white to turquoise to reddish brown, are a symbol of good luck and prosperity. In earlier times, Apulians routinely used pumo, as they are also known, to decorate porches and wrought-iron balconies. The pigne you now find in Apulian towns like Ostuni and Grottaglie are either smooth or perforated so a small candle will emit a diffused light. The best ones have a clean contemporary look and are large – about 60 centimetres high. Definitely a "wow" addition to any living room or garden. From $90 to $250.

Interact with The Globe