Sardines

Being a bigwig of the Lisbon nobility of the 18th century, he has exquisite taste and language ticks, like “Oh la la!” or “Et, voilá!”, which he is always applying. He organizes the “Salon Musical et Littéraire”, receiving guests while reclined on a bed from the previous century, at the Chambre Bleu of his palace in Belém. Designer: Isabel Colher

How long has it been since you last mailed a letter? This Sardine evokes the nostalgia of a gesture that we’re losing nowadays, while highlighting the importance of perpetuating our traditions. Designer: Ana Sofia Gonçalves

Inspired by the numerous existing lighthouses along the Portuguese coast, this Sardine refers to the idea of travelling to a distant world, whether real or imaginary, as well as the eternal return home after its discovery. Designer: Ana Sofia Gonçalves

The Sardine belongs to the PEOPLE.... As do the memories of our History. In 2012, the Sardine aged and told a story about a feat accomplished with the sails of the Cross of Christ, the Heroes of the Air. Sacadura Cabral and Gago Coutinho greatly contributed to the History of aviation when crossing the South Atlantic by air in 1922. Designer: Miguel Amaral

It was just an anonymous and pale Sardine. It sought colour and participated in the “Festas de Lisboa” (Lisbon Festivities). As the event’s icon, it deserved a monumental illustration. So, I tried to create a symbiosis between the sardine and the Santa Justa Elevator. The Santa Justa Sardine, once anonymous and pale, now parades in colour and tradition. Designer: Frederico Lencastre

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.

A sassy Sardine Bride that celebrates and honours the Brides of Saint Anthony, the “Matchmaker Saint” of Lisbon popular tradition. Designer: Ana Gomes

Designer: Paulo Galindro

Because it is of the Portuguese, father of broad seas, to want, to be able to simply:be nothing. And be someone in a sea of people. Be a person. Flood. Dry out. Cry. Float. Come up and dive in again. Be fished. Be gutted and survive: the whole sea, or the empty destroyed waterfront – The whole, or its nothing (In D. João Infante de Portugal, Message, Fernando Pessoa). Designer: Maria Miguel

The High Tide Sardine is an allusion to deep sea fishing, symbolizing both the lull and the storm that diminishes us. The whole of the sea inside of a sardine. Designer: Filipa Oliveira

This is a cat that truly loves Lisbon sardines. He ate so many sardines that, inevitably, he became one of them. Designer: Elena Ospina

Inspired by the love verses that the girls of the Minho region embroidered on handkerchiefs for their boyfriends, this sardine represents the promise of endless love. The Sweetheart Handkerchiefs are recognised by their strong colours, love symbols and spelling errors. It was a romantic allurement ritual where the sewing needles were the keyboard at that time. Designer: Oupas! Design