ceramic.pt Português

Home › Regions › Estremoz

Checked against official sources

Estremoz

The Alentejo town of the Estremoz clay figures, on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

What we have checked

  • The craftsmanship of Estremoz clay figures was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List in 2017, and production dates back to the 17th century. Source
  • A figure takes several days: the parts are assembled and fired in an electric oven, then painted and finished with a colourless varnish. Source
  • The figures wear Alentejo regional dress or religious costume and show nature, local trades, popular traditions and devotions. Source

Read the essay: The figures that nearly stopped being made →

What to look for

Small painted clay figures of trades and festivals, made by hand over several days.

Last checked: 2026-11-06. Official page · See it on the map

Plates

A row of small painted clay figures in rural costume on a shelf.
Bonecos de Estremoz
A small clay nativity scene with painted figures and animals on a dark cloth.
Estremoz nativity figures
Hands draping a thin slab of clay as a skirt on a small figure.
Modelling a figure
Unpainted terracotta figures on a drying rack beside small jars of pigment.
Fired and unpainted figures