Krenak — Botocudo

Botocudo was a Portuguese name applied to several Indigenous groups of eastern Brazil because of the plugs worn in their lips and ears. Krenak communities are among those whose histories became associated with this outside label.

Light wooden discs changed the outline of the face. Placed in pierced earlobes or beneath the lower lip, they became the first feature many European visitors noticed. Artists repeatedly drew and photographed them.

Some portraits also show tattoos or painted designs, including a star-like mark on the cheek. These were separate forms of decoration. A lip plug does not tell us that every wearer shared the same tattoo or its meaning.

The old label often concealed people's own names and backgrounds. Krenak people continue today. Looking beyond the discs reveals individuals and families, while the ornaments show how dramatically a small, carefully made object could change a person's appearance.