A beautiful tradition in Portugal for over a hundred years: barn swallows like these, made of ceramic and hand-painted, adorn house facades, balconies, and interiors throughout the country as harbingers of spring. The bird was designed in 1891 by the renowned Portuguese artist and caricaturist Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro; the original designs can still be found today in Lisbon at the famous Tabacaria Monaco. Since that time, the ceramic bird has become almost a national icon for the Portuguese, serving as a constant companion and “house friend.” It is still crafted where it was first created—in small workshops, using the original molds and made by hand. Ours comes from Caldas da Rainha, north of Lisbon, where the Faiancas Artísticas Bordallo Pinheiro ceramics factory is based.