The commune of Horezu and its belonging village Olari, are picturesque places, located in Vâlcea county, Romania. Archeology and history studies advanced the hypothesis that the pottery center of Horezu could have existed since prehistoric times and that 300 years ago it changed the archaic character of its production.
The traditional elements, the old forms and motifs have been maintained over time and prove knowledge, practices and techniques specific to the production of traditional Horezu ceramics, passed down from generation to generation.
This pottery is unique, it has specific features that differentiate it from other pottery centres in Oltenia and throughout Romania. Worked by hand, on the wheel, Horezu pottery has a special science of work, known only to the community of potters who produce it. Thanks to the special inherited techniques, handed down from father to son, the potters feel the earth “in their hands” and appreciate with their eyes the dimensions of the “lump” – the lumps of earth that are transformed into ceramic objects.
The wheel is the tool that allows obtaining the shape of the object, using a special technique of fingering, a science of movements – a traditional code of gestures. Their ability to combine colours in the decoration defines the personality and unique character of Horezu ceramics over time.
The models traditionally used are the rooster, the emblem of the Horezu potters, the tree of life, the snake of the house, the spiral of life, the ear of wheat, floral decorations, crowns, geometric motifs”. Each craftsman has his own style of marking the symmetry, alternation, rhythm or dynamics of the ornaments. The products are never identical, even if they are made by the same potter.
Horezu pottery is, in general, glazed and requires two furnace burnings: the first called the “evening burning” and the second – the “glaze burning”. The furnaces at Horezu are at the surface, built of brick, in the shape of a truncated cone, the large base being on the ground.
Photo: Elena Isfan (Deva) – ArtImage Prize at the F-DE 2021 National Contest
