Doll museum

The Doll Museum, one of Brazil’s most visited sites, is a reflection of traditional northeastern culture. “Mamulengo” means “soft” or “sluggish hands.” Just like Punch and Judy dolls in England and Guignol dolls in France, Brazilian dolls have huge faces and bright clothes, which are characteristic of street performances and folk fairs. There are about 1200 dolls in the collection, some of them belong to the XVIII century.

On the second floor there is an exhibition dedicated to the history of banditry and bribery in Brazil in the early XX century. Here you can see the image of the famous bandit Lampion and his beloved Maria Bonita.

The museum collection includes dolls reflecting different periods of history. Many of the exhibits were made by masters, whose art was under threat due to the lack of pupils who continued the puppetry.

The museum has a library containing more than 1,200 books, as well as a recreation area overlooking Olinda and Recife, a garden with fruit trees and tropical plants.