The bread stamp, hand-carved in the wood, is one of the symbols of the pastoral arts in Matera.
On the bottom there can be engraved either the initials of the head of the household or...
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From the past
In Matera, as for the whole region “Basilicata”, the woodworking has an old tradition.
The woodworkers used to make everyday objects and hand made fine art works: wagon wheels, sieve for different cereals an flours, ladles, walking-stick, bread stamp, water containers, wine barrels, pestels an mortars, carved boards to give shape to the home made fresh pasta, sacred objects, carved and inlaid furniture, spinning top (a really old, popular and cheap toy) and more.
Many of them are not in use anymore and is difficult to find the proper making process.
Most of the times it is possible to find these objects only in museums or in collector’s houses, given from father to son, from grandmother to grandchild.
RT 
