Romfilatelia, the company specialized in editing and trading Romanian postage stamps, introduces into circulation the postage stamp issue ROMANIAN POTTERY - Peasant dishes (I). Pottery has been practiced as early as ancient times, a fact supported by such evidence as the beautiful ceramic vessels from the Neolithic period, an epoch when a remarkable civilization was developed on the Romanian territory.
Being a handicraft reserved almost exclusively to men (the women possibly helping only with the decorations), pottery requires force, skill and special knowledge. The men extract clay from special places, knead it with their hands, "trample" on it with their feet, beat it with the wooden hammer, blending it with water. The paste thus obtained is cleaned off impurities, being cut in thin slices and is moulded on the wheel. The potter’s wheel consists of two discs, a smaller one on top and a bigger one at the bottom, these being joined by a vertical axis. On the upper disc ("platter") the clay clod is placed, the lower disc being moved by the potter, conveying with the foot a fast circular movement, circular forms with a regulated contour being obtained from the processed clay. The clay plate moulding requires a special technique and a high speed of work, as the paste should not get dry (sometimes the vessel or the plate is made even in 40-50 seconds).
After the moulding, the plates are left to dry for few days in the shade, afterwards they are decorated and possibly engobed or enamelled. Depending on the manner in which it is burnt, ceramics will get a black or red colour.
On the postage stamp with the face value of Lei 0.70 a peasant dish made in Oboga-Olt is illustrated.
On the postage stamp with the face value of Lei 1.00 a peasant dish made in Vama-Satu Mare is illustrated.
On the postage stamp with the face value of Lei 2.10 a peasant dish made in Valea Izei-Maramures is illustrated.
On the postage stamp with the face value of Lei 2.20 a peasant dish made in Fagaras-Brasov is illustrated.
