Artwork
Farfurie mare, adâncă, cu buză lată, răsfrântă. Piesa este modelată la roata olarului, angobată cu humă albă. Decorul este realizat prin sgrafitare în angoba crudă, peste care se aștern cu pensula culorile de smalț: verde, galben, albastru. Motivele decorative sunt florale și vegetale stilizate, dispuse pe toată suprafața farfuriei și un motiv avimorf stilizat, dispus în zona centrală a acesteia. Cromatica decorului: alb, albastru, galben, verde.

Farfurie mare, adâncă, cu buză lată, răsfrântă. Piesa este modelată la roata olarului, angobată cu humă albă. Decorul este realizat prin sgrafitare în angoba crudă, peste care se aștern cu pensula culorile de smalț: verde, galben, albastru. Motivele decorative sunt florale și vegetale stilizate, dispuse pe toată suprafața farfuriei și un motiv avimorf stilizat, dispus în zona centrală a acesteia. Cromatica decorului: alb, albastru, galben, verde. is a print by Unknown. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Ethnographical Museum of Transylvania. This large, deep ceramic dish features a wide, upturned rim and is formed on a potter’s wheel.
About this work
Overview
The piece is displayed on a transparent stand, emphasizing its three-dimensional form and allowing full visual access from all angles.
This large, deep ceramic dish features a wide, upturned rim and is formed on a potter’s wheel. Its surface is coated with a white slip, over which decorative patterns are incised using the sgraffito technique. Colored glazes in green, yellow, and blue are then brushed over the scratched design, creating a layered visual effect. The piece is displayed on a transparent stand, emphasizing its three-dimensional form and allowing full visual access from all angles.
Subject & Meaning
The decoration centers on a stylized avian form, surrounded by abstracted floral and vegetal motifs that cover the entire surface. These elements suggest a connection to natural cycles and possibly symbolic representations of fertility or renewal. The absence of figurative human or narrative content points to a decorative tradition rooted in organic forms rather than storytelling, common in regional ceramic practices of the period.
Technique & Style
The dish was shaped on a wheel, then coated with a white slip before being incised with fine tools to reveal the darker clay beneath. Color was applied as glaze over the scratched surface, with blue, green, and yellow used sparingly to highlight the linear patterns. The sgraffito method creates contrast between the white slip and the underlying clay, while the glaze adds subtle luminosity. The style is highly stylized, favoring rhythmic repetition over naturalism.
History & Provenance
This piece belongs to a tradition of ceramic production in Eastern Europe, likely from the late medieval or early modern period. Similar vessels have been found in archaeological contexts across Romania and neighboring regions, often associated with domestic or ceremonial use. Its preservation and display suggest it was collected in the 19th or early 20th century, possibly by ethnographic institutions documenting regional craft practices.
Context
The dish reflects a broader ceramic culture in which utilitarian objects were adorned with symbolic motifs drawn from the natural world. Its use of limited pigments and incised decoration aligns with regional techniques that prioritized craftsmanship over mass production. Such pieces were typically made in local workshops, using locally sourced clay and pigments, and were part of everyday life in rural communities.
Legacy
This vessel contributes to the understanding of pre-industrial ceramic traditions in Eastern Europe, illustrating how aesthetic choices were shaped by material constraints and cultural symbolism. It remains a reference point in ethnographic collections, helping to document regional craftsmanship before industrialization transformed artisanal practices. Its preservation supports ongoing study of folk art and material heritage.
Artist & collection
Museum
Ethnographical Museum of Transylvania
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