Indigenous dress in Karajá dolls: reasoning for a dress history in Brazil

Abstract

This paper inaugurates a discussion on the mental model which originates the category "indigenous dress" within the history of Brazilian dress and the ways in which the formation of museum collections may interfere in building ethical and aesthetic values of Brazilian peoples. I present some challenges for a history of dress based on collections classified as ethnic, such as indigenous ones through the study of Indigenous clothing in the Karajá dolls, the ritxoko, registered as Brazilian immaterial heritage by the Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage - IPHAN, in 2012. From this seminal study, I discuss certain methodological research paths aimed at developing a history of Brazilian dress that considers material culture and visualities as resourcefull research tools. Conclusion is that this indigenous clothing is partially indicated in museums through the formation of its ethnographic collections, leading me to suggest that current social problems are considered critical points for a historical narrative on the subject.