Artwork

Farfurie adâncă, cu buză răsfrântă, modelată la roata olarului și angobată cu humă albă pe fața interioară a acesteia. Decorul, realizat prin pictare cu pensula și cu cornul, se compune din motive avimorfe (cocoș) și florale stilizate, dispuse într-un registru decorativ în zona centrală a farfuriei. Decorul este completat de câteva motive geometrice (linie ondulată, puncte, linii hașurate, linii sub formă de cercuri concentrice). Pe buza farfuriei: două cercuri concentrice, subțiri și o dungă albastră pe toată lungimea muchiei buzei. Cromatica: alb, albastru, verde, maro, siena naturală, roz pal. Peste decor, pe fața interioară a farfuriei este așezat un strat de smalț transparent.

Farfurie adâncă, cu buză răsfrântă, modelată la roata olarului și angobată cu humă albă pe fața interioară a acesteia. Decorul, realizat prin pictare cu pensula și cu cornul, se compune din motive avimorfe (cocoș) și florale stilizate, dispuse într-un registru decorativ în zona centrală a farfuriei. Decorul este completat de câteva motive geometrice (linie ondulată, puncte, linii hașurate, linii sub formă de cercuri concentrice). Pe buza farfuriei: două cercuri concentrice, subțiri și o dungă albastră pe toată lungimea muchiei buzei. Cromatica: alb, albastru, verde, maro, siena naturală, roz pal. Peste decor, pe fața interioară a farfuriei este așezat un strat de smalț transparent. is a photography by Unknown. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Ethnographical Museum of Transylvania. This ceramic plate was formed on a potter's wheel and coated with a white slip on its interior surface.

About this work

Overview

This ceramic plate was formed on a potter's wheel and coated with a white slip on its interior surface.

This ceramic plate was formed on a potter's wheel and coated with a white slip on its interior surface. A transparent glaze was applied over the painted decoration, preserving the pigments beneath. The exterior retains the natural reddish-brown tone of fired clay, while the interior displays a carefully composed design in muted earth tones and blues, suggesting functional use and artisanal attention.

Subject & Meaning

The interior decoration features stylized avian and floral motifs arranged in a central band, alongside geometric elements such as wavy lines, dots, hatched strokes, and concentric circles. The bird, likely a rooster, and abstracted plants may reflect symbolic associations with nature, fertility, or seasonal cycles. These patterns, common in regional folk traditions, likely conveyed cultural narratives rather than literal representation.

Technique & Style

The design was executed using brush and horn tools to apply pigments directly onto the slip-coated surface. Colors include pale pink, muted green, brown, siena, and blue, applied with restrained tonality. The precision of the lines and the rhythmic repetition of motifs suggest a standardized decorative vocabulary, passed down through generations of local potters.

History & Provenance

This object originates from a tradition of handcrafted ceramics in Eastern Europe, likely produced in rural workshops during the late 19th or early 20th century. Its form and decoration align with regional pottery practices documented in ethnographic collections. The piece was likely made for domestic use before entering institutional collections as an example of folk material culture.

Context

Such vessels were part of everyday life in agrarian communities, used for serving food or storing goods. The decorative program, though non-religious, resonated with broader folk aesthetics that valued symmetry, repetition, and natural imagery. The use of locally sourced clay and mineral pigments reflects a self-sufficient craft economy, minimally influenced by urban or industrial trends.

Legacy

This plate exemplifies a widespread but often overlooked tradition of vernacular ceramics in Eastern Europe. Its preservation in museum collections underscores efforts to document rural craftsmanship before industrialization transformed domestic material culture. It remains a quiet testament to the skill and aesthetic sensibility of anonymous artisans.