A personal selection of photographs with their stories
165. Namoradeira
JUNE 2008: Namoradeira
When you wander around in a random street in the smaller towns of the state of Minas Gerais, you have great chances of being stared at by a beautiful young woman. Most of these women are slightly tanned or dark, with a glamorous look in their eyes. Almost perfect, you might say. If you approach these women a little bit, they do not turn off their look. On the contrary, they continue to stare at you. Not surprising, because they are made of wood or plaster. These so-called namoradeiras are typical examples of the Minas Gerais culture. In the conservative places in the interior of the state, young women were not allowed to walk alone on the street, but were kept at home. A young man with great interest for such a young woman had to ask the father of his daughter’s hand. To attract attention of the young men, the young women leaned at the window. The wooden or plaster namoradeiras are offered for sale at local markets, as I encountered this one at the famous Feira Hippie in Belo Horizonte.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2008, 2016
