Bowl with ornamental loops

Bowl, Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, 2014, Clay.
Courtesy of Johann Jacobs Museum

In the 1950s, Lina Bo Bardi, always attentive to shapes, bought everyday objects at markets in the Brazilian northeast. These included clay bowls, jugs, baskets or wooden spoons. The architect and designer recognized in these simple, functional objects the key to an independent Brazilian design.