Enfia o Barrete

Irina Andrusko and Luz Ornelas open the storybook and tell us a fairy tale. A story of old knowledge, of sheep's wool and natural fibre threads, of needles and spindles. Does any of this sound familiar? In this story, though, the beauty never fell asleep, and the prince is a cap - a villain's or ears flat cap. One of Madeira's ethnographic icons, deserving to be known and preserved.

   

Irina Andrusko is a researcher, linguist and textile creator. Originally from Estonia and living in Madeira since 2011, it was on the island that she created a space for experimentation and practical research, centred on regional wool and on valuing local raw materials. Around her, she has brought together artisans, researchers and keepers of the knowledge that tradition still holds.

Luz Ornelas was born in the parish of Santa Luzia, in Funchal, and is a wood engineer. She learned to knit and to make the traditional ear caps with her mother. And she never stopped. For over three decades she has preserved and shared that knowledge, so that this tradition and Madeiran craft stay alive, like stories in a book.

It was from the meeting of these two paths that, in 2021, the Enfia o Barrete collective was born - a project dedicated to researching Madeiran wool and preserving the traditional ear cap. From tools to materials, everything is studied through ethnographic research. Prototypes follow, along with experiments and the creation of new pieces. Finally, the knowledge returns to the community through workshops, exhibitions and other outreach initiatives.

Enfia o Barrete has no intention of fooling anyone. Not even sleeping beauties. It exists so that the tradition endures, and so that the ear cap - so emblematic of Madeiran craft - can be valued. By everyone. Even those who don't believe in fairy tales.