Afro-gaúcho history resurfaces: research notes on historical pipes from the museu de história Julio de Castilhos

Abstract

This text presents a partial account of ongoing research at the Ethnological Collection of the Museu de História Julio de Castilhos, in Porto Alegre-RS, on pipes that point to Afro-diasporic experiences in southernmost Brazil. Previously classified as of Indigenous origin, the pipe assemblage presents characteristics similar to those of other collections researched in contexts of slavery, such as that of Cais do Valongo, in Rio de Janeiro. The pipes also present marks described in the literature as of African origin. By revising this classification, the research is expected to reveal the collection’s previously hidden potential for telling the stories of the Afro-Gaúcho population.