Get acquainted with the instruments and tools of Brazilian workers during the pre-industrial era at the Museum of Arts and Craft (Museu de Artes e Oficios). Discover some of the nation’s most popular trades and learn how they were executed prior to the introduction of powered machinery. The Museum of Arts and Craft was the idea of Angela Gutierrez, who is the president of the Flávio Gutierrez Cultural Institute. She donated her father’s private collection of artifacts to the museum, which has since been enhanced by acquisitions and donations.
The exhibits are displayed throughout the rooms of the grandiose building of Belo Horizonte’s historic railway terminal. It looks over Rui Barbosa Square (aka Station Square), a vast plaza decorated with a fountain, monuments and statues. A tunnel connects the two wings of the building. The tunnel walls are inscribed with the names of the workers that contributed to the creation of the museum.
Find centuries-old ceramics, earthenware, jewelry, leather goods, stonework and woodwork. See scales of various shapes and sizes once used by shopkeepers. A display of saddles, saddlebags and stirrups show how horses were used as a mode of transportation.
Don’t miss the collection of gruesome-looking stone gargoyles, many of which would have been positioned at the front of boats. There are also examples of wooden carts and tables that belonged to street vendors. A 19th-century dentist chair is notably different to the modern equipment of today.
The museum is located in the northeast corner of the Centro neighborhood. The Central Station metro stop is directly behind the building. Many inner-city bus lines stop at Rui Barbosa Square. The Palace of Arts and Museum Inimá de Paula are some nearby attractions.
Visit the Museum of Arts and Crafts for free. The opening hours are from Tuesday to Sunday. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Come on a Tuesday for extended visiting hours. Most exhibits have information signs in English.
