Lacquers of the Amazon: <i>Cuias</i>, <i>Cumatê</i> and Colours by Indigenous Women in Grão-Pará in the 18th Century

The starting point of this proposal is a collection of decorated <i>cuias</i>, preserved in Portugal and produced by Indigenous women in Grão-Pará in the 18th century. The objects in question are an exemplary case of the global art history of the Amazonian communities. In order to invest...

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Main Author: Renata Maria de Almeida Martins
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-09-01
Series:Heritage
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/7/9/230
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author Renata Maria de Almeida Martins
author_facet Renata Maria de Almeida Martins
author_sort Renata Maria de Almeida Martins
collection DOAJ
description The starting point of this proposal is a collection of decorated <i>cuias</i>, preserved in Portugal and produced by Indigenous women in Grão-Pará in the 18th century. The objects in question are an exemplary case of the global art history of the Amazonian communities. In order to investigate them, it is necessary to consider the procurement and ritual use of <i>cuias</i> (fruits of the <i>cuieira</i> tree-<i>Crescentia cuyete</i>), the sophisticated techniques used to produce a durable, glossy, black varnish from <i>cumatê</i> (or <i>cumaté</i>, <i>cumati</i>), a natural dark red pigment extracted from the skins of the <i>cumatezeiro</i> or <i>axuazeiro</i> tree (<i>Myrcia atramentifera</i>), as well as the incorporation of fauna and flora motifs from Asian or Asian-inspired textiles and embroidery, which circulated worldwide. Their history brings together the nature of the forest, the myths of creation, and the knowledge and practices of Indigenous and riverine women, mainly from the lower Amazon. Studying these objects produced by Indigenous female painters in a colonial context of appropriation, in addition to contributing to their knowledge, can stimulate dialogues on the knowledge of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest with other locations in America, sharing their ancestry and resistance.
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spelling doaj-art-26ae9bb0d4e24da38e03efea88866e682025-08-20T01:55:31ZengMDPI AGHeritage2571-94082024-09-01794855488010.3390/heritage7090230Lacquers of the Amazon: <i>Cuias</i>, <i>Cumatê</i> and Colours by Indigenous Women in Grão-Pará in the 18th CenturyRenata Maria de Almeida Martins0Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo da Universidade de São Paulo–FAU USP, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo-FAPESP 2021/06538-9, São Paulo 05468-901, SP, BrazilThe starting point of this proposal is a collection of decorated <i>cuias</i>, preserved in Portugal and produced by Indigenous women in Grão-Pará in the 18th century. The objects in question are an exemplary case of the global art history of the Amazonian communities. In order to investigate them, it is necessary to consider the procurement and ritual use of <i>cuias</i> (fruits of the <i>cuieira</i> tree-<i>Crescentia cuyete</i>), the sophisticated techniques used to produce a durable, glossy, black varnish from <i>cumatê</i> (or <i>cumaté</i>, <i>cumati</i>), a natural dark red pigment extracted from the skins of the <i>cumatezeiro</i> or <i>axuazeiro</i> tree (<i>Myrcia atramentifera</i>), as well as the incorporation of fauna and flora motifs from Asian or Asian-inspired textiles and embroidery, which circulated worldwide. Their history brings together the nature of the forest, the myths of creation, and the knowledge and practices of Indigenous and riverine women, mainly from the lower Amazon. Studying these objects produced by Indigenous female painters in a colonial context of appropriation, in addition to contributing to their knowledge, can stimulate dialogues on the knowledge of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest with other locations in America, sharing their ancestry and resistance.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/7/9/230lacquers<i>cuias</i><i>cumatê</i> varnishIndigenous womenAmazon18th century
spellingShingle Renata Maria de Almeida Martins
Lacquers of the Amazon: <i>Cuias</i>, <i>Cumatê</i> and Colours by Indigenous Women in Grão-Pará in the 18th Century
Heritage
lacquers
<i>cuias</i>
<i>cumatê</i> varnish
Indigenous women
Amazon
18th century
title Lacquers of the Amazon: <i>Cuias</i>, <i>Cumatê</i> and Colours by Indigenous Women in Grão-Pará in the 18th Century
title_full Lacquers of the Amazon: <i>Cuias</i>, <i>Cumatê</i> and Colours by Indigenous Women in Grão-Pará in the 18th Century
title_fullStr Lacquers of the Amazon: <i>Cuias</i>, <i>Cumatê</i> and Colours by Indigenous Women in Grão-Pará in the 18th Century
title_full_unstemmed Lacquers of the Amazon: <i>Cuias</i>, <i>Cumatê</i> and Colours by Indigenous Women in Grão-Pará in the 18th Century
title_short Lacquers of the Amazon: <i>Cuias</i>, <i>Cumatê</i> and Colours by Indigenous Women in Grão-Pará in the 18th Century
title_sort lacquers of the amazon i cuias i i cumate i and colours by indigenous women in grao para in the 18th century
topic lacquers
<i>cuias</i>
<i>cumatê</i> varnish
Indigenous women
Amazon
18th century
url https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/7/9/230
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