https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-57306362 BBC Homepage * Skip to content * Accessibility Help * Your account * Home * News * Sport * Reel * Worklife * Travel * Future * Culture * MenuMore Search * Home * News * Sport * Reel * Worklife * Travel * Future * Culture * Music * TV * Weather * Sounds Close menu BBC News Menu * Home * Coronavirus * Video * World * US & Canada * UK * Business * Tech * Science * Stories * Entertainment & Arts More * Health * In Pictures * Reality Check * World News TV * Newsbeat * Long Reads * World * Africa * Asia * Australia * Europe * Latin America * Middle East Sacred objects: From police evidence to museum pieces By Luiza Franco Rio de Janeiro Published 23 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing A crown-like headpiece with the word Oxun engraved in itimage copyrightOscar Liberal/Iphan image captionAmong the items is a headpiece engraved with the name "Oxun", an orisha (deity) associated with rivers and waterfalls One of Mae Nilce de Iansa's childhood memories is hearing her aunt saying over and over again: "We have to get back our things from the police!". "Do you know what happened to our things that were taken by the police?", her aunt, a Candomble leader called Mae Meninazinha de Oxum, would ask other people who visited the terreiro, the place where followers of Afro-Brazilian religions gather to worship. For a long time, Mae Nilce says, she did not know what her aunt was referring to. But over the years, she began to hear stories about how, in the past, police officers had stormed their terreiros and seized religious objects. It was all part of a crackdown dating back to the late 19th Century on what authorities labelled "black magic". The items would be seized to never be seen again by their owner. But last September, some of them were finally "freed". An item from the collection in the Museum of the Republicimage copyrightOscar Liberal/Iphan image captionReligious leaders and academics will join forces to identify the recovered objects Seventy-seven boxes which had been gathering dust at the premises of the police in Rio de Janeiro were transferred to the Museum of the Republic. They contained more than 500 objects of worship seized by the authorities between 1889 and 1945. Mae Meninazinha, who is in her 80s, was ecstatic when that happened, as she and other Afro-Brazilian religious leaders had spent decades trying to retrieve them. In 2017, their efforts were bolstered by Our Sacred, a documentary that told the story of the movement to retrieve the items. The campaign picked up speed and federal prosecutors took on the case, eventually striking a deal for the items to be moved to the museum. It was also agreed that everything, from their storage to research to the design of the exhibition, would be guided by a commission of practitioners of Afro-Brazilian religions, so the objects are treated in keeping with their significance. Those involved described the items final release from police headquarters as an act of "historic reparation". An item from the collection in the Museum of the Republicimage copyrightOscar Liberal/Iphan image captionThe objects belonged to practitioners of Umbanda and Candomble After slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888, the cultural and religious practices of the Afro-Brazilian population continued to be targeted by the state, and the 1891 penal code criminalised "spiritism" and "magic healers". Art historian Arthur Valle says the racist worldview at the time meant that Afro-Brazilian religions such as Candomble were viewed not as a religion but as "charlatanism". line Afro-Brazilian religions * Are rooted in the beliefs and cultures of African people brought to Brazil during slavery * Originated in different regions of Africa * The main ones are Candomble and Umbanda, which are oral traditions with no holy scriptures, but there are many others * Candomble means "dance in honour of the gods", and is a mixture of traditional Yoruba, Fon and Bantu beliefs. Music and dance are important parts of ceremonies, and there is no concept of good and bad * Umbanda, or "art of healing", combines elements of Candomble with Catholic, spritist and indigenous traditions line Brazil had just cast aside the monarchy and was becoming a republic. "A national project was emerging. In this nation under construction there was no room for practices considered 'uncivilised'. The model was 'rational', white and European," historian Valquiria Velasco says about the mood in 1889 Brazil. "There is overt religious racism and a sense of a 'civilising' project," she adds. In practice, this meant that when the police heard about a place where people practiced an Afro-Brazilian religion, they would storm it, arrest those present and seize their sacred objects. The items would later be presented as evidence of the alleged crimes committed by the practitioners. A necklace and a pipe are among the items which were transferred to the museumimage copyrightOscar Liberal/Iphan image captionMuseologists will also aim to explain in which context the items were taken from practitioners A statue recovered from the police premisesimage copyrightOscar Liberal/Iphan image captionSome Afro-Brazilian religions incorporate traditional Catholic elements The first time Mae Nilce (mae is Portuguese for mother) saw photos of the items, she was moved. They were very similar to the ones she uses in her religious practice, such as strings of beads and the tall drums called atabaques which are played during ceremonies. But they were all in poor condition, dirty, some broken, which made her sad. A statue with broken arms and a broken off footimage copyrightOscar Liberal/Iphan image captionMany of the objects were in a poor state .image copyrightOscar Liberal/Iphan image captionMuseologists think the collection can help with the rediscovery of certain religious practices Because the items were never properly recorded or studied, not much is known about their individual histories. But Arthur Valle, who studies the period of religious repression, says he has identified a few of them. The bust of a head, for example, is mentioned in a 1934 police report which described how a woman was arrested for practising her faith next to it. Cowrie shells also form part of the collectionimage copyrightOscar Liberal/Iphan image captionCowrie shells are often used for divination Maria Helena Versiani, a historian and museologist at the Museum of the Republic, says the input from the religious commission is key because Afro-Brazilian religions have a very strong oral tradition. "It's essential to listen to them in order to acquire knowledge that is not registered in books," she says. An exhibition of the objects is being planned for November, when Brazil marks Black Consciousness Day. Mae Nilce hopes it will prove educational for those who know little about her religion and also combat the still deeply ingrained intolerance against it. Mae Nilce de Iansa and her aunt, Mae Meninazinha de Oxumimage copyrightCourtesy of Mae Nilce de Iansa image captionMae Nilce de Iansa (left) remembers her aunt (right) asking for the items seized by police Afro-Brazilian religions may no longer be considered criminal but even today its practitioners are sometimes targeted by extreme evangelicals which condemn them as "evil" and "the devil's work". Gangs have also been known to drive out followers of Afro-Brazilian religions from their places of worship or even from their homes. "There is still a long way to go," Mae Nilce says. "I hope kids visit and learn about religious discrimination. No-one is born prejudiced against certain religions. It's important that people really get to know our religions." line You may also be interested in: * Don't kill me, kill racism, black Brazilians plead * Brazil protesters: 'Black lives matter here, too' media captionConceicao and Lausmarina, women from different religions, hug cross the religious divide. Related Topics * Brazil * Religion Top Stories * UN aid chief says there is famine in Ethiopia More than 350,000 people are living in "severe crisis" after months of conflict in the Tigray region. Published 1 hour ago * Joe Biden is breath of fresh air, says Johnson Published 54 minutes ago * The G7 in 60 seconds. VideoThe G7 in 60 seconds Published 23 hours ago Features * The socialite who gave it all up to be a silent nun Sister Mary Joseph in her nun's habit with a flower crown * From Air Force One to Beast - How Biden gets around biden gets into beast * How Keeping Up With the Kardashians changed things The Kardashians * * AI shows Bollywood obsession with fair skin and sons A Bollywood mural in Mumbai * How does Biden-Johnson relationship stack up? Biden and Johnson in a virtual conference * Why it's no longer cool to be crazy rich in China A Chinese woman on a luxury jet * The mother and son feeding Mumbai's poor. VideoThe mother and son feeding Mumbai's poor Harth and his mum and their team * 'I can speak freely and use swear words as I see fit' Mona Eltahawy * Musicians play tunes among tombs. VideoMusicians play tunes among tombs The New York Philharmonic is back, playing to a live - and not-so-live - audience. Elsewhere on the BBC * Football phrases 15 sayings from around the world football being kicked on a field - Vauxhall image blurred in the background. Most Read * S Africa woman gives birth to 10 babies - reports1 * US lawmaker defends 'offensive' Israel remark2 * McDonald's forced to shut after BTS meal frenzy3 * China 'has created dystopian hellscape' in Xinjiang4 * El Chapo's wife pleads guilty to drugs charge5 * Jail for man who slapped Macron on official visit6 * Ex-officer sent himself nudes of woman he detained7 * Gaming giant EA hacked and source code stolen8 * Family of woman shot in Capitol riot demands files9 * Donald Trump hails Nigeria Twitter ban10 BBC News Services * On your mobile * On smart speakers * Get news alerts * Contact BBC News * Home * News * Sport * Reel * Worklife * Travel * Future * Culture * Music * TV * Weather * Sounds * Terms of Use * About the BBC * Privacy Policy * Cookies * Accessibility Help * Parental Guidance * Contact the BBC * Get Personalised Newsletters * Why you can trust the BBC * Advertise with us * AdChoices / Do Not Sell My Info (c) 2021 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.