Art & Culture

 

Romania boasts unique culture, which is caused by its location and particular historical legacy. Romania is, as its inhabitants, ofter regarded as the meeting point of three regions : the Central Europe, the East Europe and the Balkans, althoug it is NOT really part of any of those regions.

Romanian unique identity has been possibly developed from melting of the Roman and most likely of the ancient Dacian elements, combined with various other impacts.

 

While there are great Romanian fine artists, among whom 20th century

sculptor Constantin Brancusi is probably the most famous, the typical zest

for life and almost naive optimism that the world is really a beautiful place

seem best expressed in the traditional art and craft of Romanian peasants,

extending even to their colorful, unique grave markers. 

 

In the “Merry Cemetery” of Sapanta,” in Maramures,  carved wooden crosses

are painted traditional Voronet blue (named for the nearby painted monastery)

and embellished with fanciful borders, renderings of the deceased and often

anecdotes of  their lives. 

An erstwhile town mayor is memorialized with anecdotes

of his womanizing ways. 

 

 

Romania has a great diversity of museums preserving every facet of its history and arts. Some are small museums, catering to enthusiasts with a taste for special interests such as pharmacy, clocks, railway trains, folk arts and architecture, wine making and traditional crafts. Larger museums host regular exhibitions from around the world, as well as housing permanent collections of paintings and sculptures. Prominent museums include Romania's National Museum of Art, the Art Collections Museum, the Village Museum, the Museum of the Romanian Peasant in Bucharest, and the Bruckenthal Museum in Sibiu. 

 

 

Crafts of Romania

 

The traditional Romanian folk arts, including dance, wood carving, ceramics, weaving and embroidery of costumes and household decorations, and fascinating folk music, still flourish in the country.

Romania is adorned with many wonderful Orthodox monasteries, some of which date back to the 13th century. Medieval towns, fortified churches, painted monasteries, wooden masterpieces and outstanding ancient Dacian ruins are just some of the attractions that make up Romania's exceptional cultural heritage. 

 

25 of its beautifully preserved architectural gems have been included by UNESCO in the World Cultural Heritage in acknowledgement of their natural, scenic and monumental appeal. In 1929, on the territory of the Poiana village, now called Poiana – Vărbilău, Prahova county, in the valley of Slănic river, at the locality called "Vârful Fundăturii", a beautiful golden helmet dating from the first half of the 4th century BC. was uncovered by chance. The helmet belonged to an unknown local Geto-Dacian king or to a local aristocratic noble, and today is kept in the National History Museum of Romania. Almost a kilogram heavy, the gold helmet is very well preserved, missing only the part of its skull cap. The form of the helmet and its decorations reveal the autochthonous character of the Geto-Dacian artwork and craftmsmanship.

 

Works of Brancusi are in various locales, but one of the finest collections is in the city of Targu Jiu, in Oltenia province on the southern border of the Carpathian Mountains.  "The Endless Column" (Coloana Infinita), "The Gate of the Kiss" (Poarta Sarutului), "The Table of Silence" (Masa Tacerii) and "The Alley of Chairs" (Aleea Scaunelor) are displayed in the city’s main park as indicated by the great sculptor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nearby Horezu is a major center for ceramics, wood carving and iron forging and the Horezu Museum of Art showcases some of the best work  of past and contemporary artists.     

 

 

Painted Eggs

 

The most readily recognizable examples of Romanian art are the

famed painted eggs, especially prominent around Easter time. 

Painting of real hollowed-out eggs was an integral part of preparations for

this festival of renewal.  Women and children gathered in someone’s home

and spent a day painting and gossiping.  Intricate patterns were actually secret

languages known only to residents of the regions where they were painted. 

The oldest known were painted with aqua fortis (nitric acid) on a traditional

red background.   They’re available in nearly all shops and street markets.

 

 

 

Wood

 

Maramures is the area to see the art of woodwork.  Homes are trimmed in elaborately carved wood, wooden gates and even fences are intricately carved.  Historically, in this area, a family’s community status was displayed through the gate – the more elaborate, the more important the family.  Trees of life, twisted rope, moons, stars, flowers and wolf teeth to ward off evil spirits are associated with myths and superstitions.  They show up in furniture, spoons, ladles, walking sticks, keepsake chests and other decorative objects, sometimes embellished with paint.   Wooden flutes and recorders are also elaborately carved.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Masks

 

Masks are linked to folk festivals held predominantly in Maramures and Moldavia.  Typically made from the hides of sheep, goats or cows, the masks are adorned with fabric, hats, pompoms, metallic bits, feathers, beans, straw and animal horns to represent bears and goats, they’re traditionally worn to welcome in the New Year during a couple weeks in December and early January.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Textiles

 

Textile weaving is the most widespread craft in Romania, handed down from generation to

generation, using distinctive family patterns along with those specific to different districts.  

The predominant fibers, wool and cotton are woven into rugs, wall hangings, table covers

and clothing. 

Some Romanian weavers and embroiderers still work with threads and yarns they produce

themselves, but younger weavers tend to purchase their raw materials. 

They weave and embroider just about every cloth article used in their homes, from

colorful linen and cotton towels to window draperies, bedspreads, rugs, wall hangings,

furniture throws and clothing.  In a village near Sibiu, part of a bride’s dowry is still a tolic,

used to decorate horses of those who ride from house to house issuing wedding

invitations. 

Embroidery on folk costumes worn for holidays and special occasions (like weddings)

follows strict regional patterns and serves also as a sort of secret language known only to

people within the different regions.  Sibiu uses graphic black and white motifs, reflecting

its Saxon heritage; southern regions of Arges, Muscel, Dimbovita and Prahova use red,

black maroon, yellow, gold, and silver threads, reflecting influences of the Ottoman Empire. 

Buzau uses terra cotta; Oas uses green and Moldavia uses orange and the Voronet blue

made world-famous by its use on the monastery of the same name. Especially beautiful is

cut embroidery on white or ecru linen and cotton, done throughout the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ceramics

 

Romanian pottery is still made mainly on traditional kick-wheels with simple finishing tools.  Shapes, sizes and patterns reflect the different clays and cultures of diverse areas where are produced.  Color glazes and decorations vary from strong geometrics, to delicate florals, animals and humans.  There are approximately 30 pottery centers throughout the country, each with its own distinctive style, but the main areas are in Horezu in Oltenia;  Miercurea-Ciuc and Corund in western Transylvania; Baia Mare near the northern border, and Radauti and Marginea in Moldavia.