Transylvanian Arts & Crafts

In 'sgraffitto' technique, the pattern is not painted on, but is created by scratching through the outer layer of the ceramic - the layer with the pigment - so revealing the image in the white porcelain beneath.

This sgraffito pottery was made this way for over 300 years in Saschiz, died out over 50 years ago, and has now been revived with the help of the Marcela Botnar Trust (UK).

It is to be used and enjoyed!

The tree is cut into lengths and split ...

.... suitable lengths are selected ....

.... cut into shape and then bent in steam to give the correct curve.

The whole process is done by hand, including making the steel hoops, in a farm courtyard with simple hand tools.

This cooper is also the village postman, in the village of Floresti, where the previous photos were taken!

Here is an exhibition of old tools, in the village of Biertan.

But the difference is, these same tools are still being used daily in the village next door, Floresti.

Farm implements are made locally too.

And clothes are made from wool spun in the village from the local sheep.

Sheep are milked in the hills. Sheep milk is mostly used for traditional cheese-making in the hills, but some is taken down to the village by cart for sale as milk.

Urda, the local version of ricotta whey-cheese, requires cooking over a wood fire.

Pigs are slaughtered locally, in a humane fashion, and enjoyed by the whole community.

Viscri has become a famous centre for jam-making. The jams use traditional recipes, with very little sugar, became Romania's first Slow Food product, and are now being marketed and appreciated widely in Romania.

HRH The Prince of Wales is an active supporter of local producers.

But most beekeepers use more modern, wooden beehives. This one, in the village of Roades, trusts his bees and never wears gloves.

Bears sometimes come to the village edges and raid the beehives for honey!

Large heaps of hardwood, too small or crooked for other uses, are heaped, and covered with straw and soil to prevent air from entering .....

..... They are then lit on the inside with a long fiery torch.

They burn for a week before all the wood is transformed into charcoal. The charcoal burners have to climb over the heap with buckets of earth to stop up any holes, which can be spotted from the escaping smoke. Dangerous work. If the heap collapses, the charcoal burner on top will be killed very quickly by the intense heat.

Here the charcoal burner is shovelling soil to stop up any holes in the covering, to keep it air-tight - if air enters, charcoal is not produced - all that remains is ash, of no value.