The tradition of pottery making in Romania has a long and rich history, dating back to ancient times. Romanian terracotta and clay pottery is an integral part of the country's cultural heritage, and it reflects the diverse regional influences and artistic traditions found throughout the country.
Here's an overview of the Romanian traditional pottery
Historical Roots: The art of pottery in Romania has ancient origins, with evidence of ceramic production dating back to the Dacian civilization, which existed in the territory of modern-day Romania before Roman conquest. The Romans also influenced Romanian pottery.
Very old terracotta vases, from our private collection
Regional Diversity: Romania's various regions have their own distinctive pottery styles. Some of the most well-known styles include Horezu ceramics from southern Romania, Cucuteni ceramics from Moldova, Marginea ceramics from the Bukovina region, and Corund ceramics from Transylvania.
In a sunny November Sunday, we made a family trip to Horezu. Below pictures from our favorite local artisan.
Handcrafted Techniques: Traditional Romanian pottery is typically handcrafted, with skilled artisans shaping clay into various forms, such as plates, bowls, pots, jugs, and decorative items. These pieces are often adorned with unique and intricate designs.Nowadays, there are still artisans preserving this beautiful handcraftship. They are using the same way of making and the same motives herited from generation to generation. The most popular areas where we can find these artisans are Horezu and Corund area. In a visit to Horezu, we found a wonderland where traditional artisans are still true to their traditions, eventough the mass market imitations flooded the market unfortunatelly. In our shop, you can find a selection of vintage Horezu and Corund ceramic, as well as new traditional ceramic from the traditional artisans from those areas.
Corund (Korund) pottery, from our collection
But there are also artisans that revived very old techniques, apart of these major styles, such as the artisan Ionel Cococi from Vadastra who revived Neolithic style ceramic as it used to be in his area from South Romania. We visited his place and we were trully amazed about his very complicated technique and exquisite products. Few of those are available on our shop as well.
Decorative Motifs: Pottery from different regions of Romania features a wide range of decorative motifs, often inspired by nature, local customs, and folklore. These motifs can include floral patterns, animals, human figures, and geometric designs.
Examples of patterns, pictures from our collection. More in our shop.
Functional, Decorative and Ritual Use: Romanian pottery serves functional, decoratve and ritual purposes as well. Its first use was the functional one for cooking and serving food, but the decorative role, for example the decorative plates for the wall or central piece for table, as well as the ritual role, for celebrations or religious or cultural ceremonies, were also very important and there are still, especially in rural communities.
Romanian pottery is celebrated for its authenticity, craftsmanship, and the strong connection it maintains with the country's rich cultural history. It continues to be a source of pride and identity for the Romanian people and is cherished both within the country and by those who appreciate traditional crafts worldwide.
I would encourage everyone to use and enjoy ceramics everyday. Each piece represents our ancestral connection with nature and humanity which gives yourself peace and meaning.
Beautiful authentic products, handmade with love. The charm comes from their uniqueness given the fact that no two products are the same.
Minunate, favoritul meu e cocosul de Hurez
Their beauty, constantly maintained for Millennia, proves, if I needed it, that the vicissitudes of the times could not inhibit people's creativity and need to surround themselves with beauty. They all look stunning, but I think my favorites remain the ones from Vadastrita, from the southern part of Romania. I sincerely bring my congratulations for the work you done !