top of page

New Issue | Brazilian Lace


About the Stamps

This set of 4 stamps was inspired by the “Renda Brasileira” (Brazilian Lace) brochure, produced by Renato Imbroisi Team. The upper left stamp represents the Renaissance lace. Just beside it, on the upper right, the Irish lace. On the lower left we can see the Filet lace stamp, and then on the lower right, the Bobbin lace. The four stamps are connected in the center by lace edges. Intaglio white ink was applied on gray background, creating a relief along a tactile sensation, an identification with the texture that there is in every lace composition. Technique utilized was vectorial illustration based in photographic files.



Brazilian Lace

Lace, a traditional needle and thread craft, originally practiced only by women, was brought to Brazil by Portuguese settlers and other European immigrants. There is a diversity of typologies in the country, depending on the origin (France, Portugal, for example) and the local characteristics that were outlined in the different parts of the country where it was configured as traditional handicraft and as means of income source for the communities. In general, it is observed that the income inflow in the country follows the coastline and continues along water courses, such as rivers, streams and lakes.

Traditionally white, today the lace has gained innovative colors, such as bright red, king blue, black. It also gained contemporary features in creations adapted to the current cultural and economic context, in lighter pieces, such as scarves, hollow ones, which require less production time and have a lower final cost than, for example, a double quilt, which can take six or more months to be finished. It is important to highlight that as much bedspreads as other traditional pieces – wedding dresses, tablecloths, baby trousseaus – continue to be produced and have their commercial niche in Brazil and abroad.

Among the dozens of different types of Brazilian lace, Correios, together with Sebrae and Renato Imbroisi, defined the following groups to illustrate the four postage stamps of this issue: Bobbin lace, Filet, Irish lace and the Renaissance.

Bobbin lace: Having Portuguese roots, it is very present in coastal regions of the Northeast and Santa Catarina. The fabric is produced on cylindrical cushions, wrapped in thick paper, to which pins or plant thorns are attached, forming the lace pattern. In each thread to be worked, there is a weight or bobbin, and the lacemakers move them quickly, interweaving them and weaving the lace and producing a characteristic percussion, by the beat of the bobbins.

Filet: The lace is made over a kind of mesh of thread that resembles a fishing net. It is usually associated with a fishing net. For this reason, it is said that where there is fishing, steak is filet. Alagoas and Ceará are the main productive centers.

Irish: Contrary to what it may seem, it did not come from Ireland, but history tells that it was brought and taught by Irish fairs. It is traditional in the small Sergipe town of Divina Pastora, 34 km from the capital, Aracaju. It was declared Historic Heritage in 2009, by IPHAN. The lace is produced between two cylindrical ribbons that are attached to the paper where the design of the piece was made.

Renaissance: It is similar to Irish lace, with the difference that it uses a flat ribbon rather than a cylindrical one, also called lacê. There are also differences in stitches, but you also work on a paper with the lace pattern. The region of Cariri, in the state of Paraíba, and the State of Pernambuco are the main productive centers.

Renato Imbroisi

Handicraft designer


Activities of Sebrae (Brazilian quasi-governmental Micro and Small Business Support Service) aim to promote handicrafts in an integrated manner, as a sustainable economic sector that values the cultural identity of communities and promotes an improvement in the quality of life, expanding the generation of income and jobs.

Sebrae’s work began in 1997, always in connection with private institutions and institutions, having as the starting point of this model of action, a partnership with Artesol in 1998. The Solidarity Handcraft program aimed to develop and promote citizenship and local development, by means of training people and mobilizing artisan communities based on their traditional knowledge. In this context, the participation of Sebrae contributed to the inclusion of issues related to management and processes, such themes contributed to a better organization of production processes and consequently a better positioning of artisans/production groups served in the national and international market.

Through its strategy, Sebrae has always sought responsible intervention in communities, preserving traditional techniques, knowledge, practices and cultural identity as our great cultural heritage and differentiating from the competition of handcrafted products.

In these years, Sebrae adjusted and corrected paths, but it is worth highlighting the works carried out in favor of the preservation and rescue of traditional crafts such as renaissance, Irish, bobbin lace and others within the scope of the system, such as: Redemption of Renaissance Income through workshops schools in Paraíba with the inclusion of young people at different times from school, Women lacemakers from Morro da Mariana - PI and lacemakers from Saubará - BA, rescue of the Masters of Crafts in Minas Gerais, Popular Masters of Pernambuco.

In addition, Sebrae worked in partnership with INPI to recognize 9 craft techniques with the IG seal, among the four income from the seals, recognized with the Geographical Indication Seal.

In the last 4 years, Sebrae’s performance in the handicraft segment reached the following numbers: more than 21 thousand artisans served in projects specialized in handicraft, more than 16 million businesses generated and approximately 28 thousand artisan companies served.

The Sebrae Reference Center for Brazilian Crafts (CRAB), located in Rio de Janeiro, aims to reposition national handicrafts, so that the visitor has an excellent perception and becomes a frequent consumer by understanding the value of the handcrafted product. 2,500 students from public and private schools participated in the CRAB Educational Program, and 14 developments of Brazilian handicraft were built with 3,765 pieces by 572 artisans and 10 million visitors in the last seventeen months.

Next year we will celebrate 50 years of existence and it is an honor to have a partnership with Correios Brasil for the Rendas Brasileiras postage stamp release, demonstrating the appreciation of the artisan work that enriches our Brazil.

Durcelice Mascene e Valéria Barros

Technical Analysts for the Competitiveness Unit of the National Sebrae


Technical Details

Stamp issue N. 7

Art: Renato Imbroisi Team

Curatorship: Renato Imbroisi

Photos: Marcos Muzzi

Research: Silvia Sassaoka

Design and art-finishing: Daniel Effi–Correios Brasil

Print system: Offset and intaglio ink

Paper: gummed chalky paper

Sheet with 24 stamps, 6 sets of 4

Facial value: 2nd class rate for domestic mail

Issue: 360,000 stamps (60,000 sets of 4)

Design area: 30 x 40mm

Stamp dimensions: 30 x 40mm

Perforation: 12 x 11.5

Date of issue: July 7th, 2021

Places of issue: Fortaleza/CE, Divina Pastora/SE and Recife/PE

Printing: Brazilian Mint



252 views

Comments


bottom of page