Agriculture provided, indirectly, but in abundance, raw material for a variety of artifacts, some of a functional nature, such as mats. Parallel to basketry, this artisanal production initially played a complementary role to agriculture and adapted itself to domestic needs.
Corn leaf, wheat straw, bulrush, reed or even dragon tree leaf doormats represent a traditional and typically Azorean art of working vegetable fibers. The corn leaf mats are the most characteristic of the island of S. Miguel. Dragon tree leaf mats are the most characteristic of the island of Pico, where the endemic vegetation is still abundant. Plaited doormats are usually made with dry bulrush or agave and beaten with a mallet and come in their natural color. Their long braid, which gives them a circular, oval or rectangular shape, traces the most diverse geometric motifs.
