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Ceramics and Sculpture |
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The Portuguese who first landed on Brazilian soil in the 16th century began the transplantation of European culture to Brazil. While the Portuguese were still forming small, cautious groups to explore the unknown beaches, native Indian potters were at work. Indigenous craftsmen were polishing ceremonial axes of flint. Musicians and dancers decked out in fibre masks, plaited straw, and fantastic, feather helmets were retelling the legends of the flood and the creation. Brazilian culture is more than the simple result of specific contributions by European whites, African blacks, and aboriginal Indians. Miscegenation among them has been taking place ever since their very first contacts. These three cultures have insinuated themselves into the way Brazilians feel and act. Today it is difficult to trace their dividing lines. Brazilian folk arts are among the richest and most varied in the hemisphere.
In the northeast of Brazil, the most popular sections of the large markets are the displays of potters and vendors of artistic clay objects, many of which are true sculptures. A number of these local artisans are known not only to Brazilian folklorists, but also to artistic circles outside Brazil. Familiar names are Severino, whose characteristic work is in unglazed clay, Mestre Vitalino (Master), the most famous of the folk potters, perhaps because he signed his creations, and Zé Caboclo, from the town of Caruarú, the principal centre of folk sculpture in the State of Pernambuco. The ceramics portray complete scenes of daily activity, induding animals (the horse, the cock, and the Zebu bull), and religious characters (priests and saints).
 Today's potters follow traditions laid down by Indian cultures that existed in the Amazon region well before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century. At least four of these cultures are noteworthy for their ceramics: on the vast island of Marajó in the mouth of the Amazon River potters melded vases that were later decorated with labyrinthine patterns. The last of five archaeological periods on the island, the Marajoara, is the most famous. In the Santarém region, Indian potters made urns and igaçabas (funeral urns) embellished with an amazing panoply of animals. They transtormed the fauna of the Amazon into intricate and baroque fantasies of men and animals. The cultures of Cunani and Maracá (in the present-day state of Pará) also produced remarkable pottery.
Folk Dance >>
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