Romfilatelia, the specialized company in editing and trading Romanian postage
stamps, introduces into circulation the postage stamps issue ROMANIAN POTTERY
– Peasant dishes (II).Romfilatelia, the specialized company in editing and trading Romanian postage
stamps, introduces into circulation the postage stamps issue ROMANIAN POTTERY
– Peasant dishes (II).
The black ceramics, of Dacian origin, had a major spreading in pre-Roman Dacia.
In order to obtain the black colour, the paste is subject to an incomplete burning
(oxygen reducing burning), by smothering the oven at a certain moment. Burning is
done in holes of the shape of cone frustum with the narrowed area on the upper side,
deep up to 1.5m. Near, a hole is dug that communicates with the first one by a small
canal and where the fire is set. The clay items are placed in the taper hole. When they
are burnt enough and get a red colour, they are covered with a thick layer of damp clay,
with which also the connecting canal between the holes is stopped up. Therefore
burning continues in the absence of oxygen, and the vessels get a grey or black colour.
The black ceramics is still made even nowadays in Romania, in Marginea, county of
Suceava, in Poiana Deleni, Iasi or in Madaras, Harghita. In the case of black ceramics,
decoration is done by polishing it with a special stone.
The red ceramics, obtained by burning in the oxidizing system, took over and
perpetuates elements of Roman tradition.
The decoration is made by painting with the brush or horn, through operations that
bear handicraft names such as: “jiravire cu gaita” (spider web decoration style),
“stropire cu maturica” (whisk splatting) or by incision in the damp clay or by applying
in relief of some clay strands.
The plates (dishes or flat plates) are decorated using colours obtained naturally,
based on the ancient knowledge.
Red is obtained from an earth rich in iron oxide (called “ruseala”), that can be found
in the valleys, at depths of 2-3m. This gets dry, is finely pounded, ground and dipped
into water. Thus, a viscous fluid is obtained that is filtered through canvas or sieve
resulting so a glossy substance.
Black is obtained from a special earth, extracted from the earth erosions after rains.
Green is obtained from the slag produced by burning copper wire into the oven. The
slag resulted is peeled, pounded, finely ground and blended with the clay.
White is obtained from lime blended with mountain white stone, burnt and pounded.
Yellow is extracted from din Medgidia clay (having a limited area of spreading),
blended with “ruseala”.
On the postage stamp with the face value of RON 0.70 is illustrated a peasant dish
made in Vladesti-Valcea.
On the postage stamp with the face value of RON 0.80 is illustrated a peasant dish
made in Vistea-Brasov.
On the postage stamp with the face value of RON 1.60 is illustrated a peasant dish
made in Tansa-Iasi.
On the postage stamp with the face value of RON 3.10 is illustrated a peasant dish
made in Romana-Olt.
The peasant dishes illustrated on the postage stamps of the issue are part of the
Romanian Peasant Museum’s collection.
Issue date: 2007-06-05
