Thursday, October 17, 2013

Snow White Ceramic Figures from Brazil

Over 75 years after its release, there's no doubt that Disney's first feature film still holds a special place in people's hearts around the world. Recently, a good friend of mine was traveling in Brazil. He visited five different cities, and on numerous occasions, he came across ceramic figure sets of Branca de Neve e os Sete Anões (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs).



They ranged in size from small pieces you might place on a shelf to large statues for the yard. The hand-painted figures are not officially licensed by Disney, but that doesn't seem to matter. The bright colors and style have a real South American flavor about them. They are found in shops, open markets, and in people's lawns as you drive around.

This shot was taken in the city of Piadade in the state of Sao Paulo.

Image courtesy of Andrea Catel.


Another set, sans Snow White, was seen at a churrasco grill (Brazilian BBQ restaurant) in the city of Tatui. They were placed in a little courtyard between the men's and women's restrooms.



My friend had to sneak into the women's side to get the front shot of the dwarfs and Old Hag.


Images courtesy of Michael Haven.


He brought the following set back with him to the States. Branca de Neve stands approximately 9.5" tall, the dwarfs around 6". Notice that she has blue eyes (instead of brown) as do all of the dwarfs.




No copyright markings or imprints.



Mestre ("Master" in Portuguese for Doc)...



Zangado (Grumpy)...



Feliz (Happy)...



Dunga (Dopey)...



Dengoso (Bashful)...



Soneca ("Nap" for Sleepy)...



Atchim ("Achoo" for Sneezy)...

Set donated by Michael Haven to the Filmic Light Collection.

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UPDATE October 2014: Our friend Andrea Catel runs a school in the city of Sorocaba. This statue set decorates the front yard of one of her students.

2 comments:

  1. I wonder if the sculpts weren't loosely based on smaller "official" figures from the U.S.?

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    Replies
    1. The dwarfs do seem to be standing in their classic poses.

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