Caldas da Rainha is famous for its pottery, particularly ceramic cabbage bowls that can be found in homes all over Portugal and even around the world. But there’s another type of pottery that Caldas has become famous for: louça fálica.
Walk into many (not all) of the pottery shops in Caldas da Rainha and, in amongst the ceramic cabbage bowls and the ceramic swallows, you’ll find plenty of ceramic penises.
Walk into many (not all) of the pottery shops in Caldas da Rainha and, in amongst the ceramic cabbage bowls and the ceramic swallows, you’ll find plenty of ceramic penises.
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I was in Obidos the first time I encountered these phallic ceramic pieces.
After our initial shock, my friends and I got curious and decided to ask the shop keeper "why" are these a thing.
The history of the phallic pottery in Caldas da Rainha
The shopkeeper told us that Dom Luís I of Portugal, who was king from 1861 to 1889, was visiting Caldas da Rainha and asked local potters to make him something different for a party he was giving.
Bordalo Pinheiro, a caricaturist who invented the famous ceramic cabbage bowls, grabbed some clay and made a male member. The king liked it, and the town has continued making them to this day.
Bordalo Pinheiro, a caricaturist who invented the famous ceramic cabbage bowls, grabbed some clay and made a male member. The king liked it, and the town has continued making them to this day.
On my recent visit to Caldas at the beginning of January 2023, I saw this red and black on in a store window. I was thinking how perfect it would be for Valentine's Day coming up next week. What do you think?
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