Historical knowledge is made not only through written documents, but also through material culture, whether in use or in the custody of museums. Far from being resplendent treasures or reflections of a mona culture, the artifacts in museums figure in the scientific environment as relevant testimonies for us to understand peculiarities of a particular society, in a specific historical context. In this perspective, the study of the cuia collection from Santarém, composed of fourteen artifacts, takes into account the perception of the indigenous tradition imbricated by the Lusitanian influence in the decorative motifs, involved in the 19th century scenario of the Lower Amazon. The field research was carried out among market traders and artisans in the capital city of Pará - Belém - comparing the artifacts in the Collection with those that, coming from Santarém, can be found at the Ver-o-Peso Market and in handicraft stores. Once the ethnographic catalog was made, the cuias were contextualized in the context of indigenous knowledge, parallel to what is seen in non-Indian society, noticing the probable influences that figure in the decoration of the artifacts. The study allowed the perception of indigenous knowledge, under Lusitanian influence, in the cuias of the 19th century; and, in the cuias of today, an effort of reinterpretation of indigenous motifs was perceived, in the decoration of the cuia handicrafts.
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