In the town of Estremoz, generations of clay artists have been crafting their unique figures since the 17th century, telling a story of devotion, of Man’s relationship with nature and different ways of life. Let them be heard.

There’s painstaking work to be done in the Flores sisters' workshop, in the heart of Estremoz. All day, almost every day, Perpétua and Maria Inácia shape clay to create figures whose origins were almost lost in the mists of time. These women are bonequeiras, the word used locally to denote those still writing the language of figures made of earth, paint and tradition. For half a century they’ve carried the baton of this craft, which has endured both fashions and fads.

“We make different pieces, but always stick to tradition when it comes to the figures’ appearance and colours. If we start changing them, they’d soon end up like any old figure, and not those from Estremoz.” Maria Inácia attends to small details, shaping a group of harvesters that form part of a unique heritage that is preserved in the act of making. The sisters learned to do this from Sabina Santos, a barrister (clay artist) who took them under her wing as teenagers in 1972 and instructed them in the traditional ways. For 15 years, they listened to the words of their mentor, who taught them technical aspects and instilled a connection to clay that has lasted over 50 years.

Clay figures have always been Maria Inácia and Perpétua’s livelihood. They come from a generation of women who were often denied an education, and their father didn’t let them go to school in Estremoz. He believed that the six kilometres between São Bento do Ameixial, the village where they were born, and the town were enough to guarantee the modest life that young women should maintain. Perpétua, the younger of the siblings, was the first to enter Sabina Santos' workshop. Rather frail and fragile, it proved the perfect opportunity for the youngster to escape arduous labour in the fields. Coming from a poor family, working from an early age was very much the norm. The clay figures not only meant making a living, but also signified a chance to escape the village. Maria Inácia, older by a year, did the job of weeding before she handled any clay. The two sisters learnt a trade and, over time, acquired a passion.

“The person we worked with really connected us to clay...” The clock's pendulum writes “tick-tock. tick-tock. tick-tock” in the air.

Sabina, who died in 2005, inherited the know--how of the famous Oficina Alfacinha workshop (founded by a Lisboner, her grandfather Caetano da Conceição). The Flores sisters now work alongside their 37-year-old nephew, Ricardo. It's like the domino-effect of knowledge. “I'm always telling him not to change things too much. Traditional things will always have value,” says Perpétua. “The figures are like people, they have the DNA of the person who makes them,” says Maria Inácia.

Yes, they do.

Stable balance

Each piece is made from an almost childlike triad of clay shapes - roll, ball and plate. This is the template for all the different figures and an essential part of their production. They are the origin of the body, the face, then the clothes and ornaments, before going into the kiln. Once fired, they’re painted in vivid colours, then varnished. This is how pieces such as Amor é Cego (Love is Blind) and Primavera (Spring) are crafted, perhaps the best known of the Estremoz collection, although the best sellers are religious images.

This Estremoz craft was classified as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2017. “Ball, roll and plate. And how the figure is dressed. We're uncompromising,” says Hugo Guerreiro, historian and lead person responsible for the Estremoz figure application. Having already done considerable work on the subject, he believes that the UNESCO listing has saved this particular art, having lent it greater visibility, recognition and value. The number of working artisans has also increased from seven to 13, including the Flores sisters, Ricardo Fonseca, Afonso and Matilde Ginja, Isabel Pires, Madalena Bilro, Zé Carlos Rodrigues, Carlos Alves, Duarte Catela and Jorge da Conceição.

“The Estremoz figure is a cultural object. We're interested in maintaining an art form that’s a cultural object and not tourist handicraft,” Guerreiro advocates. After the UNESCO classification, a technical course was set up by the municipality in conjunction with Cearte (a vocational training centre for crafts and heritage). This move meant training new people to help save the clay figure art. To discourage deviations, a certification system was also established to prevent major stylistic changes to the traditional figures. A true testimony of time, the Estremoz figure reaches the 21st century with this conundrum. Will maintaining tradition ensure the future?

From elites to the poor

The history of these depictions harks back four centuries, originating from the Restoration War (1640-1668) period, when various populations were in great spiritual need. “It was a very difficult time. Troops were stationed in people's homes. It was against this backdrop of distress and faith that the clay figures emerged,” says Guerreiro. Very much an art form of the people, for those who couldn’t afford carved religious pieces, Estremoz's figures, already with their own identity and style, were inspired by the nativity scenes disseminated in the 18th century and influenced by the so-called Mafra School. “People have always done this. They imitate the elites. They begin to see nativity scenes and huge oratorios in the houses where they work, in the churches, and they want to have the same in their own homes”, says Guerreiro. This was when clay nativity scenes began to appear, featuring a gamut of religious representations, such as the saints of the Catholic Church, Marian figures and Jesus Christ, as well as allusions to rural and urban life. Estremoz figures, which stood around 30 centimetres tall, and were naif copies of wooden images, could be found on the altars of churches and chapels in poorer communities.

As the religious orders were dissolved, figures such as Primavera and Amor é Cego emerged, which were increasingly disconnected from the nativity scene. The latter piece, which depicted a blindfolded cherub, was created within a context of allegories during the Baroque period. In addition to this, there were depictions of black kings, which were associated with slave communities, as well as various representations of soldiers, portraying the armies established in the region.

The female world is a hallmark of these figures, which is unsurprising when we discover that, initially, only women made them (men only started in the 19th century).“It was here they were born, they played, they started working early, had children, were baptised, got married and died. This world depicted is the world of Estremoz, both rural and urban. We can follow the history of Estremoz and the region through the Estremoz figures,” says Guerreiro.

This craft has had its fair share of problems over the years, to the point that no clay figures were produced during the 1920s. Such a situation made extinction seem likely, until the intervention of the sculptor Sá Lemos, a native of Vila do Conde, who was then director of the Escola Industrial de Estremoz. In 1935, it was he who managed to find Ana das Peles, who had the requisite skills to teach a course at the Escola de Artes e Ofícios. Among the apprentices was a master potter from Olaria Alfacinha, Mariano da Conceição, Sabina Santos’s brother. “From then on, the Alfacinha family entered the world of clay figures, bringing them to life and teaching various people the skills to make their own. Such ramifications have made Estremoz figures what they are today. Ever since the 17th century,” says Guerreiro.

It's worth noting that altar nativity scenes are still being made in the various workshops in Estremoz and can cost hundreds of euros. Pope Francis received one from the Flores sisters when he was in Portugal.

Science and folk art

Knowledge regarding this art continues to emerge, although many questions remain unanswered. It wasn't until the 19th century that the clay artists creating these figures were credited, due mainly to collectors’ interest. Until then, it was an anonymous art of the people. “In 1836, when there were 24 workshops in the town, it was supposed to be a time of decline. What would the golden age look like?” asks Guerreiro, explaining that Estremoz figures left the confines of the Alentejo and Portugal, spreading to neighbouring Spain, but also to Brazil and the former Portuguese colonies. There are documents showing figures being dispatched at the port of Lisbon. What's more, given the number of active workshops, it's hard to believe that production was only sold locally.

Inspired by new curiosity, there’s a whole world to be discovered. An unprecedented study of the materials used in Estremoz figures is underway at the HERCULES Lab (University of Évora). HERCULES researcher Mathilda Coutinho, who works with Ana Fonseca, art conservator of the Museu Municipal de Estremoz, says that such research will illuminate the relationship between the workshops producing more erudite art and those creating folk art: “There's the pottery part, and the painting part, which stems from another craft that’s more linked to sculpture.” Research has shown cases of expensive and rare paints, such as Prussian blue and azurite, being used with folk art pieces. “That puts the cat amongst the pigeons. Nobody has worked on folk art scientifically. We're studying and unearthing major surprises, which raise various questions. Were the figures painted in their own workshops? Are there pieces for wealthier clients that went to painting workshops?” asks Guerreiro.

Figures shaped by the people’s hand line up for inspection at the Museu Municipal Professor Joaquim Vermelho. At the Centro Interpretativo do Boneco de Estremoz, the focus is on historical perspectives and current clay artists, with (cautious) new depictions. In Estremoz, history continues to be written.

Roll, ball, plate. A centuries-old grammar.

The Language of Clay

In the town of Estremoz, generations of clay artists have been crafting their unique figures since the 17th century, telling a story of devotion, of Man’s relationship with nature and different ways of life. Let them be heard.

Stable balance

From elites to the poor

Science and folk art

How Smart Are We?

Fondation D’Entreprise Hermès