ceramic, sponge, and textile accents assemble into scilla & cariddi hand-crafted mirrors

drawing from mediterranean marine myths, the sculptural mirrors create an interplay of reflections that alters the viewer’s encounter with their own image.

MarlisaMarasco edited by christina vergopoulou November 3, 2026 3 min

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Scilla & Cariddi wall mirrors translate sea myths into design

Presented at SaloneSatellite during Salone del Mobile Milano 2026, Scilla & Cariddi by Marlisa Marasco is a pair of collectible wall mirrors that translates the Mediterranean mythology of the Strait of Messina into layered, functional objects. Sited conceptually between the Calabrian and Sicilian coasts, the pieces reframe the ancient sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis through a mixed-material assembly of hand-modeled glazed ceramic, multi-scale reflective glass, timber substrates, and textile accents.

ceramic, sponge, and textile accents assemble into scilla & cariddi hand-crafted mirrors - 1 — positioned at opposite shores of the Strait of Messina, Scilla & Cariddi evoke the mythical guardians who warned travellers of the dangers of passage | all images ©CameraOff

Tactile textile details contrast ceramic and glass planes

Each mirror, composed by designer Marlisa Marasco, establishes a distinct formal and functional configuration referencing its mythical namesake. Scilla features a crown of six glazed ceramic serpent heads paired with a secondary magnifying mirror that evokes the creature’s eye, alongside an integrated sponge that functions as a pin cushion. Cariddi outlines the gaping mouth of a lamprey, defined by three spiraling ceramic vortices that evoke marine whirlpools while doubling as wall hooks for hanging accessories. The overlapping, offset mirror planes fragment the viewer’s reflection across varying scales, integrating optical shifts directly into the craft-driven wall compositions.

ceramic, sponge, and textile accents assemble into scilla & cariddi hand-crafted mirrors - 2 — worn on the face, Scilla & Cariddi shift from sculptural mirrors to embodiments of the Strait’s mythical creatures

ceramic, sponge, and textile accents assemble into scilla & cariddi hand-crafted mirrors - 3 — Scilla, guardian of the Calabrian coast, evokes the mythological monster through six ceramic serpent heads crowning the mirror and a magnifying mirror recalling its eye

ceramic, sponge, and textile accents assemble into scilla & cariddi hand-crafted mirrors - 4 — Cariddi, guardian of the Sicilian coast, evokes a giant lamprey’s mouth; three ceramic vortices recall the monster swallowing and spewing the Strait’s waters

scilla-cariddi-wall-mirrors-mediterranean-mythology-designboom-1800-2 — the mirrors combine hand-modeled glazed ceramics, flat glass, magnifying lenses, and timber backings

ceramic, sponge, and textile accents assemble into scilla & cariddi hand-crafted mirrors - 5 — two overlapping mirrors reflect the viewer at different scales, making them part of an uncanny image that recalls the mythological monster

ceramic, sponge, and textile accents assemble into scilla & cariddi hand-crafted mirrors - 6 — a glazed ceramic vortex and textile fringe evoke the violent whirlpools of the Charybdis myth, bringing together contrasting materials and textures

scilla-cariddi-wall-mirrors-mediterranean-mythology-designboom-1800-3 — the pieces operate at the intersection of figurative sculpture and functional vanity mirrors

ceramic, sponge, and textile accents assemble into scilla & cariddi hand-crafted mirrors - 7 — Cariddi, inspired by the mythical guardian of the Strait of Messina on the Sicilian coast, combines glazed ceramic, textile details and reflective surfaces

ceramic, sponge, and textile accents assemble into scilla & cariddi hand-crafted mirrors - 8 — Scilla, inspired by the mythical guardian of the Strait of Messina on the Calabrian coast, combines glazed ceramic, textile details and reflective surfaces

project info:

name: Scilla & Cariddi
designer: Marlisa Marasco | @marlisamarasco

photographer: CameraOff

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