Discovering the history of Madeira Crafts is also exploring the history of the Madeiran people themselves. From utensils developed to meet every day needs to the most creative pieces, this historical legacy has reached the present day and constitutes one of the region's most valuable cultural heritages.
It is presumed that the first handicraft expressions in the archipelago appeared in the early days of the colonisation process, because the population needed to resort to these methods to produce basic necessity goods and domestic utensils.
On the other hand, the 'barrete de orelhas' (a traditional cap made of wool) proved to be extremely useful for shepherds who guarded their cattle in the mountains. However, as time went by, Madeira Crafts became more and more creative, and new pieces with more innovative design concepts appeared, thus responding to the growing number of clients who became loyal to this type of unique items.
