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In the borough of Alcântara (MA), the small community of Itamatatiua continues a pottery tradition of over 200 years. The only way to get there is by car or horse. There are more than 400 people. The men earning a living from farming and the women from ceramics. The dark clay is extracted locally and the women work together in a big warehouse.
Eloísa Inês de Jesus, one of the local leaders, says she’s been working with clay since she can remember. “Nowadays we make many figurines, not just pots and we portray the things we experience and try to rescue our history. The pots sell more, but we have many figurines.”There are slaves, folkloric groups, women preparing food, pregnant women, etc. It’s the world of women like Eloísa, Maria de Lurdes, Itiene, Maria José, Maria, Carliane, Neide, Denise and Inácia, to name but a few of those who have hands of incredible skill and sensibility. |
