Figure 1.-- This 19th century drawing of a Botocudo chief by Giulio Ferrario. The drawing appeared in a volume published by Giulio Ferrario. He was not the illustrator, but a Milaneselibrarian at the Library Braidense. He prepared a monumental records of the clothing of people around the world, both ancient and modern--'Il costume antico e moderno' (1826). There were numerous collaborators and the volume was widely praised across Europe. We do not know who did the Botocudo drawing, but it was probably the engraver. If the drawing is accurate, it seems that the Botocudos didn't wear even the waist laces worn by many Amazonian tribes.

Botocudo is the foreign name for a South American tribe in eastern Brazil. They are also known as the Aimorés, Aimborés, or Krenak people. The tribe's original territory was in Espírito Santo. Today, only a few bands remain, almost all of them in rural villages and the Indigenous Territory. The last Botocudos are the Krenak. There were 350 Krenak living in the state of Minas Gerais (2010). The Botocudos were nomadic hunter-gatherers, wandering in the woods and living from the forest. We have a 19th century drawing of a Botocudo chief by Giulio Ferrario. The drawing appeared in a volume published by Giulio Ferrario (figure 1). He was not the illustrator, but a Milaneselibrarian at the Library Braidense. He prepared a monumental records of the clothing of people around the world, both ancient and modern--Il costume antico e moderno (1826). There were numerous collaborators and the volume was widely praised across Europe. We do not know who did the Botocudo drawing. In the right side bottom we can read 'Migliavacca inc[isore]' (engraver). He probably did the drawing. We do not know what his source of informaion was. We don't know anything about him. Migliavacca is a very common family name in northern Italy. If the drawing is accurate, it seems that the Botocudos didn't wear even the waist laces worn by many Amazonian tribes.

Created: 2:33 AM 5/2/2012
Last updated: 6:18 AM 5/2/2012