Alberto Peral. Alma de cántaro

“Alma de cántaro” is an expression that pops up several times in Don Quixote, even though no one really knows where it originally came from. Cervantes seems to play with the idea of the hollow sound of an empty pitcher and the “soul” as whatever is inside it—suggesting a kind of inner emptiness or lack of awareness. Basically, it refers to someone who doesn’t quite grasp what’s right in front of them.

There’s also a sculptural idea behind it: calling something hollow a “soul” highlights what’s inside the pitcher. When a potter works at the wheel, shaping the clay from the outside in, they’re really shaping the empty space, turning it into something physical. By enclosing it, that emptiness becomes real.

In the end, both sculptures and ceramic pieces are objects—but objects shaped as much by what’s inside as by what we see on the outside.