22" x 12"
Straw
PORTUGAL

Found in the Algarve, at a night market, something very touristic. I, at first, thought it was really ugly, but Marco insisted we buy it as he thought it was something really unique and there was only one. No Portuguese friend had ever seen it, people were fascinated. Then I started loving it. We tracked the maker down, it took some time... We asked her if she would make some for us; she refused several times but then finally agreed to make one and only one. We visited her at her home; she said her mother used to make very large ones and in colors, pink and green for example, they were all the family used in the summer. The woman was about 63 years old. She does not like to make them as the work is very hard and she relies on a friend for the materials. I wish we could convince her to make more, but after she demonstrated the work I also understand how hard it is for her to produce only one. We need to find a young person who wants to apprentice with her. Maybe I should think about moving to the Algarve for a year, not a bad thing. This mat resembles ones I have seen in Morocco, so, it likely was a technique or style that came from the Moors. That's all we know.