Carved and painted wood
Romania has a long tradition of woodworking, as evidenced by the monumental carved portals at the entrance to the houses of Maramureș or the Sicilian country. Wood, which is not lacking in these regions, is also carved to decorate furniture (chests, cupboards, tables, etc.), door and window frames, shepherd's sticks, spinner's cattails, kitchen utensils, etc. An everyday art, which is particularly expressed on wooden spoons (linguri din lemn) with finely chiselled handles. Here is a small souvenir, easy to bring back, a condensed version of this popular know-how. You will find it especially in Maramureș, of course, as well as in Bukovina and a little bit everywhere in the country. Let's also mention the Art and Crafts shop at Sighișoara, whose founder, Mark Tudose, is a specialist in the genre. My Romanian Store, in Bucharest,
also has a fine collection, as does the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant. Another facet of wood craftsmanship: painted furniture, a speciality of the Saxon and Hungarian minorities. It is difficult to bring back a chest or a set of chairs in your luggage, but you will also find smaller objects, such as boxes, dishes, small stools, etc. We recommend two addresses: The Gifty Shop, a shop run by a young craftsman at Sighișoara, and M'Art, a workshop based at Cisnădioara, which has a gallery in Sibiu.Ceramics
The tradition of ceramics on Romanian territory goes back to the Neolithic period, to the time of the Cucuteni culture, named after the Moldavian village where the first traces of this refined civilization were found. It has left a rich collection of ceramics, finely executed, decorated with geometric and primitive motifs. You will sometimes find Cucuteni type ceramics in handicraft shops, especially in Moldavia.
Today, the most famous Romanian ceramics are those from Horezu, which in 2012 will be included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Handmade, they represent a know-how that is often transmitted within families, from generation to generation. The men extract the clay, transform and model it, while the women take charge of the decoration, using a hollowed-out ox horn extended by a thin stick. Horezu ceramics are recognizable by their colours, shades of dark brown, red, green, blue and ivory. The main motif is the rooster, a symbol of hope and rebirth. There are also peacocks, fish, the tree of life, the sun and all kinds of plant and geometric motifs. The ceramics of Corund, a commune of județ of Harghita in Transylvania, is characterized by its floral and animal motifs. It can be bicoloured (white and brown or cobalt blue) or multicoloured. The pottery of Marginea, in Bucovina, is characterized by its black colour, unique in Europe. It is obtained by closing the kiln during firing: the smoke, which is trapped, then slowly penetrates the clay. Go to the Black Ceramics Centre, on the main road of the village. There you will find a variety of objects and see the artisans at work in the production workshop. There are also the ceramics of Maramureș, which differ from one area to another: those of Baia Mare are different from those of Baia Sprie, Săcel or Vama, in terms of the patterns, colours and techniques used.
If the villages mentioned above are privileged places to see the ceramists at work and do your shopping, you will find them all over the country. However, beware of industrial charms. You should also know that these ceramics are nowadays mainly designed for decorative use.Gowns and textiles
The centrepiece of Romanian folk costume, immortalized in a famous painting by Matisse, the women's blouse (ia) is distinguished by the finesse of its embroidery and the richness of its motifs and symbols. In cotton, linen or silk, they told, through their patterns and colours, the identity of their wearer: her region, her social status, her age, her work, etc. The young people tended to wear bright colours to attract the attention of a potential husband, while married and elderly women wore more modest colours. Geometric, floral, natural or cosmic symbols conveyed a mystical meaning, a power: the cross protects from the evil eye, the flower brings harmony, the circle symbolizes renewal
... Apart from the blouse, other traditional clothes can be beautiful souvenirs: embroidered skirts, shimmering floral scarves, knitted socks, woollen toques (caciulă), felted woolen coats for men, etc. Lovers of textile arts will certainly fall in love with the beautiful Romanian works: embroidered tablecloths and napkins, woollen blankets, carpets and other weavings... Often very colourful, they are decorated with traditional motifs bearing symbols, such as painted eggs or blouses, and produced in a traditional way, on old looms. These works, carried out by women, were devoted to the winter period. Maramureș is particularly rich in this area.Decorated eggs
Traditionally made by women on the occasion of Easter, painted eggs are one of the most astonishing manifestations of Romanian folk art. They are a nice souvenir, but delicate to transport: it is better to find a suitable packaging that can protect their fragile decorated shell. Having become a national symbol, you will find them all over the country, in craft shops or in the shops of ethnographic museums: let's mention, among others, the Peasant's Museum in Bucharest. At My Romanian Store, still in the capital, you will find eggs decorated with modern motifs, alongside the traditional ones. But it is in Bucovina, the flagship region of this art, that you will be able to make the most beautiful purchases, especially in the three must-see places in this field: the National Museum of the Decorated Egg at Ciocănești, the Museum of the Artist Lucia Condrea at Moldovița and the Museum of Letiția Orșivschi, in Vama.Icons on glass
Since the 18th century, peasant artists have been painting icons on wood and glass. Very popular, they were intended to protect houses and to promote spiritual communion during prayers. Icons on glass (icoane pe sticlă) from Transylvania are particularly famous, the technique having been introduced with the annexation of the region by the Habsburg Empire in 1699. The representations of religious scenes, mixed with popular beliefs and everyday elements, are simple and naive, which is what makes them so charming. You can find them at craft fairs and souvenir shops, such as Art and Crafts at Sighișoara or in the shops of the Astra Museum in Sibiu. You can also buy them directly from artists, such as Ioan Borlean in Vadu Izei.Food
Did you have a good time during your stay? Prolong the pleasure by packing a few products in jars in your suitcases, easily transportable: jams, honey, zacuscă, salată de vinete, murături... To prepare a Romanian-style ciorbă, bring a little borș, in a bottle or in powder form. Of course, you can buy these products at the supermarket, but the best ones are the farm products: you will find them in the markets, in the agritourism pensions, in some souvenir shops or during your peregrinations in the villages, on the roadsides, etc...
