n the Azores archipelago in general, ceramics have become one of the engines of the economy. São Miguel was no exception. Tiling, figurative ceramics and pottery were some of the ceramic slopes that had more expression on the island.
The local production of tiles began to have some relevance from the second half of the century XIX and had as influence the tile production made in the Portuguese continent, namely, in the city of Lisbon and Porto (Vila Nova de Gaia).
The tile, painted in blue-cobalt was, overall, used to cover the urban buildings and the walls of the religious temples. Today, the tile also already evolved for another type of use – the tourist use. As any tourist destination needs promotion, the tiles painted with small illustrations served, in the same way as the postcards and the photographs, to represent a set of some of the most emblematic tourist resources of the island, such as natural landscapes, monuments, plants, costumes and typical customs. The method of manufacturing the tile is manual and goes from the kneading of the clay to its painting.
The figurative ceramics also served to spread the tourist promotion. Some popular figures, traces and typical customs were reproduced in ceramic sculptures, initially made of natural terracotta, and then painted/glazed after their raw material was cooked. These figures, although associated with tourism, are also associated with the Christmas tradition, because the nativity scene dolls are also made of pottery.
Pottery was very important in the daily lives of Azoreans. The clay that existed in abundance in the hills of the island, provided the economic development of the region. Tiles, bowls, hinterland, plots, bricks, among other utensils made from the clay, made people’s way of life easier. The sertã, one of the most emblematic pieces, was used to bake lêvedos, corn cakes, or even the sertã cake.
