Brazilian culture is more than the sum of the specific contributions by European whites, African blacks and aboriginal Indians. Miscegenation has been taking place ever since the very first contact between the different groups, and today it is difficult to trace the dividing lines between them: each of the three cultures is present in the way Brazilians feel, think and act. Brazilian folk arts reflect this cultural mix, and as a consequence are among the richest and most varied in the western hemisphere.
Among the most popular attractions in the many large markets in the northeast of Brazil are the stalls belonging to potters and vendors of artistic clay objects, many of which are beautifully sculpted. A number of these artisans are admired not only locally, but also in artistic circles outside Brazil.
Today's potters follow traditions established 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 known for their ceramics: on the large island of Marajó at the mouth of the Amazon, potters created vases that were then 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, transforming the fauna of the Amazon into intricate baroque fantasies. The cultures of Cunani and Maracá (in the present-day state of Pará) also produced remarkable pottery.
