Transcript Visit to a pottery workshop

TRADITIONAL ROMANIAN CRAFTS
POTTERY
CONTENTS
History of pottery in Romania
 Fokloric legends about potters
 Pottery
 Centres of ceramics in Romania
 Visit to a pottery workshop
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HISTORY OF POTTERY IN ROMANIA
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Pottery is one of the first crafts that has been
practiced since the Neolithic period. The
processing of the clay required special knowledge
(modelling, decoration, burning) which had to be
transmitted from generation to generation,
having an important role in the development of
the primitive society. În the geographic space
between the Carpathians and the Danube, there
were found archeological proofs regarding the
early practice of pottery in the Neolithic period.
HISTORY OF POTTERY IN ROMANIA

Beginning with Vth-IVth B.C., the Geto-Dacians
made different household articles through
pottery, using pottery kilns and pottery wheels,
also adopting superior techniques from Greece
and from the Roman world. Thus it can be proved
through pottery that the Geto-Dacians had, at
that time, a civilizing role in the south-east of
Europe.
HISTORY OF POTTERY IN ROMANIA

In the Roman Dacia, after 106, the products of
the local craftsmen were in competition with the
imported luxury ceramic products, but this only
succeeded to improve the quality of the DacoRoman pottery regarding the common items.
The pottery workshops were archeologically
confirmed to have existed in almost all urban
Dacic centres. Among the Roman colonists, there
were also brought potters from other parts of the
Empire.
HISTORY OF POTTEY IN ROMANIA
Even after the withdrawal of the Roman
army and administration to the south of
the Danube, pottery continued to be
practiced in the north (the post-Roman
Dacia).
 The conditions were difficult and so
pottery was practiced in the areas that
were protected against the violent
migrators. The old technology of the DacoRoman pottery was used continuously
until VIIth century.
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HISTORY OF POTTERY IN ROMANIA
In ancient times, the potters were grouped
and formed factions of 200-300 families.
They could be found in all villages, in the
vicinity of fairs and near more important
royal residences.
 People usually looked for potters
especially around traditional holidays, at
fairs, weddings or baptisms.
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FOLK LEGENDS ABOUT POTTERS
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Potters have always been invested with
demiurgic qualities, as they created new forms
from paste.
The Romanian legends say that potters acquired
their skill from God, but as they did not have
divine breath, they burned the products so that
they should last forever. According to old beliefs,
here has to be sought the origin of the metaphor
which identifies the clay container with the
human body, a figure of speech valued so much in
the most important creations of the universal
poetry.
FOLK LEGENDS ABOUT POTTERS

Also, the potter was considered a
sinful man and there is the faith that
on the other world he will have to
work a lot because he burned and
tortured the ground.
POTTERY
Men take the clay from special
places, bring it at home and knead it
with their hands, feet or with a big
wooden hammer, mixing it with
water.
 The paste produced in this way is
cleaned of impurities, by cutting it
into thin slices which are then
modeled with the pottery wheel.

POTTERY
The wheel is formed of two discs, a
smaller one on the top and a bigger one at
the bottom. They are joined by a vertical
axis.
 The potter puts the piece of clay on the
upper disc and he moves the other disc
with his feet, in a fast circular movement.
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POTTERY

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The form of the pot requires a special technique
and high working speed because the paste should
not get dry.
After modeling, the pots are left to dry for a few
days, in the shadow, then they are burned in
special ovens after having been decorated first.
POTTERY
The most common technique of decoration
means using a cow’s horn with a goose
feather on top.
 The colour goes through the horn to the
goose feather. Thus we have a real pen.
The delicate decoration can be obtained by
using a small stick and boar hairs.
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POTTERY
Another type of decoration can be
obtained with a metallic tip, after
dipping it into colour.
 Another technique, common in the
south of Romania, is the application
of some cords, belts or roses of
paste.
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CENTRES OF CERAMICS IN ROMANIA
CERAMICS FROM HOREZU
 Horezu Ceramics centre appeared at
the end of XVIIIth century and it is
considered to be the most important
ceramics centre from Romania. It
was specialized in making bowls and
trays and then it diversified its
production by introducing cups,
flower pots and jars.
CENTRES OF CERAMICS IN ROMANIA
CERAMICS FROM HOREZU
 Horezu pots have been made to be
used mainly by noble families.
 The decorations that are used at
Horezu are the vegetal (fir tree,
clover, stalks), geometric (zig-zag,
dots, lines) and others like: the
rooster, the sun, the church, the
spiral and the fish.
CENTRES OR CERAMICS IN ROMANIA

CERAMICS FROM HOREZU
CENTRES OF CERAMICS IN ROMANIA
CERAMICS FROM VAMA
What is predominant for the Ceramics
from Vama is the use of green, yellow and
brown, the motifs being mainly
geometrical (lines, circles, spirals) and
floral. The main types of objects are those
used in the house: pots for milk, sarmale,
jugs, bowls, plates. At present there is
only one potter who produces this type of
ceramics, in the village Vama.
CENTRES OF CERAMICS IN ROMANIA
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CERAMICS FROM VAMA
CENTRES OF CERAMICS IN ROMANIA
CERAMICS FROM OBOGA
The ceramics from Oboga (south of
Romania) is characterized by the colors
brown, green and yellow. The most
representative products are the plates
with floral motifs (the tree of life, the
acorn) or zoomorphic motifs (the peacock,
the rooster, the fish) and also the famous
wedding jugs, made exclusively in this
region.
CENTRES OF CERAMICS IN ROMANIA

CERAMICS FROM OBOGA
CENTRES OF CERAMICS IN ROMANIA
CERAMICS FROM BAIA MARE
The ceramic objects of this type are
cobalt-blue, decorated with white
motifs but also with brown, yellow,
green. There is a wide variety of
products, from plates (of different
sizes) to bowls, water jugs, small
cups, jugs, candlesticks etc.
CENTRES OF CERAMICS IN ROMANIA
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CERAMICS FROM BAIA MARE
VISIT TO A POTTERY WORKSHOP
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In the framework of the project we
organized a documentary visit to a
pottery workshop from our region.
VISIT TO A POTTERY WORKSHOP
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The potter makes a demonstration
VISIT TO A POTTERY WORKSHOP
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The potter presents the technique
VISIT TO A POTTERY WORKSHOP
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Students working
VISIT TO A POTTERY WORKSHOP
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Students working
VISIT TO A POTTERY WORKSHOP
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Students’ final products
TRADITIONAL ROMANIAN CRAFTS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!