Olari, Valcea CountyCurea Ionut Catalin

Tabacaru Maria AlexandraGrupa 8311

Anul III

Location Olari village, it is an UNESCO World

Heritage site since 2012. It is situated for about 3 km from Horezu

in Valcea County which lies in sourthern Romania, in the historical province of Oltenia, with mountains (the Meridional Carpathians) and hills (the Sub-Carpathians) dominating its geography.

Although well known as a tourist destination for several of its balneary resorts along the river Olt (Olanesti, Calimanesti, Caciulata) and for some of the most widely recognized symbols of the Romanian folk crafts (the Horezu pottery), Valcea county is still mostly an undiscovered touristic jewel of Romania.

Traditions The folkmen of Olari welcome you

in their yards, where they work the magnificent pottery and make their livelihood, raising animals and cultivating gardens.

There is no sense of commercialism: the craftsmen do not have shops and do not run businesses, they sell directly their and theirs family’s work.

These are kind people who sense the importance of their work, and pass it on to their children, who, despite working in big cities or studying at university in the country’s capital, come home over the holidays to work the clay, just as their fathers.

Horezu pottery Unique to Romania due to the

chromatics and floral motives – is emblematic for the region and is known worldwide. Preserving the local tradition and displaying Byzantine influences that have turned the craft into a brand for the Horezu valley, the Horezu pottery is shaped only on the traditional kick-wheel, with simple finishing tools.

Its burning is usually made in horizontal stoves using the oxidation technique, thus resulting in red earthenware.

Design Most of the ceramic

objects are decorated in delicate, yet powerful geometric and vegetal patterns, artfully painted by the masters’ wives, using 100% natural colors and ancient age old tools such as cow horns and goose feathers.

Ornaments A dominant symbol in

painting Horezu vessels it is the rooster but also there are other figures like stars , snakes , trees , people, flowers, fish , double spiral , straight , wavy line , leaf , belt , sun , tree of life and peacock tail .

There are two specific colors : red and yellow Horezu.

Business Horezu is a singular

historical Romanian ceramic center in which this trade remained the main source of income for many families of potters.

References https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horezu_ceramics

http://www.turistvalcea.ro/articole/satul-olari-si-ceramica-de-horezu/

http://www.ramnicuvalceaweek.ro/?p=14426