Slavery and Sociability in a House on the Direita Street in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais/Brazil, XVIII-XIX Centuries

Parietal drawings discovered in the basement of a house on Direita Street in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil, are interpreted as representing episodes from the life of an enslaved African woman from the Mina Coast (presently Togo, Benin, and Nigeria). These inscriptions likely formed part of a mortuary panel dedicated to her memory, offering a rare glimpse into the experiences of Africans in the region during the 18th and 19th centuries. The study connects the dwelling houses on Direita Street to broader urban sociability, examining the social and economic dynamics of Vila Rica within the Captaincy of Minas. Through extensive documentation—including registry office records, city council documents, parish records, and tribute records—the research reconstructs the woman's life trajectory, shedding light on her agency and interrelationships within a context of subjugation, neighborhood, friendship, and kinship.

ANDRADE, F. E. D., & SOARES, M. D. C. (2026). Slavery and Sociability in a House on the Direita Street in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais/Brazil, XVIII-XIX Centuries. Varia Historia, 42. https://doi.org/10.1590/0104-87752026v42e26026