The Sicilian Cart
The Sicilian Cart (Carretto Siciliano) is a masterpiece of folk art. The brightly painted two-wheeled carts were typically drawn by donkeys in the countryside and horses in the cities. The carts were products of the collective efforts of a group of artisans — woodcarvers, blacksmiths, assemblers and painters. For the dear readers who want to understand the origins and history of the Sicilian Cart, The House directs you to a thorough summary prepared by Dolce & Gabbana, whose clothing frequently features the carts’ ornate iconography.
Old postcard depicting a traditional painted cart
Here, we will focus on the painting, which depicts various historical, literary or religious scenes. D&G explain:
“The custom of painting the various parts of the cart took hold and became a tradition because it fulfilled several functions: it served as a form of protection that preserved the wood in the cart for longer, but also had a superstitious function as the scenes depicted (which were often religious) were considered auspicious and endowed with a protective power, including the power to ward off bad luck and negative events.”
Miniature replicas of these carts (carretini siciliani) were popular souvenirs for tourists to bring back from Sicily, and occult catalogs in the 1970s and 1980s sold them as “couriers of good luck and happiness.”
Yours truly found this beat-up souvenir cart at a flea market and bought it for $1.
After a little time in the studio, it was looking a lot better.
Miniature Sicilian Cart from the Collection of the National Museum of American History.
The wheels are broken, but the horse and rider appear to be intact. This restoration project is right in The House’s wheelhouse (pun intended) if the museum would like.
Although the carts are used only for weddings and folk festivals today, the tradition of painting these vibrant historical scenes on carts is being kept alive by artisans in Sicily.
There is also a museum dedicated to the Sicilian Cart in Palermo. But one need not travel all the way to Sicily to see an honest-to-goodness Carretto Siciliano. There is one in the permanent collection of the Museo Italo Americano in San Francisco, California.
Carretto Siciliano by Tano Ferrara c. 1920, Gift of Mrs. Lee Polizzi in memory of Manfredi Polizzi
Sicilian cart; from the collection of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, NM
Panel from an old Sicilian Cart; House of Good Fortune Collection
The Italian American Museum of Los Angeles also hosted an exhibition of The Sicilian Cart from June 30, 2017 - January 7, 2018, and the images are still available online, including a magnificent SMEG refrigerator done in collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana.
Images from The Sicilian Cart exhibition at the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles.
Partanna olive oil features a Sicilian cart on its label.
