the traditional alongside the contemporary - all manner of goods made from the leaves and branches of local trees and a new explosion of bags, boxes and toys made from recycled cans and plastic bags - in-the-know carioca girls have been buying clutches made from soda can pop-tops for years now.

the popular arts and crafts tradition in rio de janeiro, much like the other folkloric disciplines of the area, is rooted in creative use of local materials, multiculturalism and necessity, the mother of all invention.

like in other parts of brazil, and the rest of the world, folk art in rio de janeiro is done primarily with the interests of the artist and the needs of his or her community in mind, with considerations of a wider market secondary.