Bordallo Art

In 1896, Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro registers the patent of its ceramic swallows probably realizing that it could become a true Portuguese symbol. He wasn’t wrong, the artist’s flights of swallows started inhabiting houses, in Portugal and in several countries where Portuguese people lived (easy to identify by the swallows).

In 1896, Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro registers the patent of its ceramic swallows probably realizing that it could become a true Portuguese symbol. He wasn’t wrong, the artist’s flights of swallows started inhabiting houses, in Portugal and in several countries where Portuguese people lived (easy to identify by the swallows).

In 1896, Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro registers the patent of its ceramic swallows probably realizing that it could become a true Portuguese symbol. He wasn’t wrong, the artist’s flights of swallows started inhabiting houses, in Portugal and in several countries where Portuguese people lived (easy to identify by the swallows).

In 1896, Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro registers the patent of its ceramic swallows probably realizing that it could become a true Portuguese symbol. He wasn’t wrong, the artist’s flights of swallows started inhabiting houses, in Portugal and in several countries where Portuguese people lived (easy to identify by the swallows).

A giant wall leaf. This is a model by Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro, witnessing the naturalist representation of the artist’s ceramic.

Model by Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro, the monkey for suspending is part of the ceramic animal gallery created by the artist. Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro particularly enjoyed monkeys and he even had one in his cork bungalow within the Fábrica de Faianças das Caldas area. The product does not include the suspension rope.

The sardine, with its silvery blue and black hues, darker on the back and lighter on the sides and belly, is found in the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, where it dwells on coastal areas, between 25 and 100 meters deep. It undertakes migrations in large shoals that protect fish from predators during the day, in deeper waters, and move at night-time to shallower waters to feed on algae and small crustaceans. It reproduces from October to April, a time when sardines are leaner and not so tasty. The sardine is the most popular fish in summer festivals and fairs in Portugal, as well as the main species used in the Portuguese canning industry.

Zé-povinho is an excellent creation by Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro. Born in a satire newspaper, "A Lanterna Mágica", in 1875, it is the symbol of modest Portuguese people, who pay everything laughing at everything, naive, sensitive and suspicious. Zé-povinho is part of the collection of the famous ceramic moving figurines created by Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro.

The sea bass has an elongated silvery gray body with blue hues. It dwells in the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, where young sea bass can be found in shoals near estuaries, due to this species easy adaptation to low-salinity waters. Adult sea bass dwell in waters up to 100 meters deep, living a more solitary life. This species feeds on fish, crustaceans and molluscs. It reproduces from January to April.

The striped red mullet is a small reddish fish. It can be found in the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean, where it dwells at the bottom of the sea, up to 100 meters deep. This species forms shoals and feeds on crustaceans, small molluscs and fish. It reproduces from late winter to early summer. Juvenile striped red mullets live closer to the surface, only moving to deeper waters once they’ve matured into adulthood. Their two chin barbels contain chemosensory organs and are used to probe the sand for food.

The edible crab has a robust shell, wider than it is long, with a reddish-brown colour and two strong claws with black tips. It is found in the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, where it dwells in shallower waters for the first six months of its life. It then moves to deeper areas, up to 100 meters, including in lagoons and estuaries. The edible crab feeds essentially on crustaceans and bivalves, which it captures and kills by squeezing them with its claws. It reproduces during spring and summer, after females shed their shells. Female edible crabs carry up to 3 million eggs in their abdomen for six months, during which time they remains hidden under rocks or buried in holes they dig.