“RATINHOS”, MUSICAL ICONOGRAPHY AND POPULAR CULTURE: 19TH -CENTURY FAIENCE FROM THE MANUEL CARGALEIRO FOUNDATION

The words ratinho(s)/ratinha(s) designates the Beirã population (from the northeast Portugal) who moved seasonally to Alentejo (southeast Portugal) to carry out agricultural work. The lack of work opportunities combined with the needs of the poorest social classes from the Beiras region dictated these migratory movements. It was the name ratinhos that would be used to designate the faience made in Coimbra, which would represent these social types. The faience ratinha was characterized by its low cost, durability, and rich and appealing decoration. Such decoration includes the depiction of musicians mainly on plates. It is the aim of this chapter to analyze seven ratinho plates with musicians, from the Manuel Cargaleiro Foundation in Castelo Branco (Portugal). As such, the following research questions were asked: What musical instruments are represent- ed? Who is playing? What is the gender and social classes of the performers? What are the iconographic models of this faience decoration? In this way, this research intends to fill a gap by providing a musicological study in an area that has not been addressed by the scientific community.