RAYS OF MARAMURESAN ART

Text and photos Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
Design Florin Alexandru Stancu

From Sunrise to Jupiter
Maramures… challenger!

“Tipuritura” or “strigatura” is the shortest Romanian poetic form
(two rhymed and rhythmical lines,
as you have seen above)
and was “invented” in the Oas-Maramures zone,
in North-NorthWest Romania,
in which the inhabitants consider themselves
the purest continuers of the free Geto-Dacians
(unspoiled by foreign invasions)
and the best preservers of the old Romanian traditions,
such as the antique Dacian cross
(a solar cross from before the 1st millennium AC,
adapted as a Christian symbol later,
in which the arms end out of the circle),
very used here in the wood art.

Probably the most important Maramuresan personality for Romanian history
was Bogdan Voda in the 14th century,
who did not accept the Magyar conquest of the Maramures Voivodeship
and its expansion to east.

Thus, he crossed east the Carpathians and, finding many Romanians,
he united them, stopped the Magyar armies
and founded the independent Romanian state of Moldova.

But Maramures remained under Magyar domination for a while,
then under Habsburg domination until World War I,
its north being colonized with many Slavs.

So that after the war
South Maramures became part of the Romanian Kingdom
while North Maramures successively became part of
Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union and Ukraine.

In 2018 June I visited Maramures,
passing right through the former estate of Bogdan Voda,
whose statue was erected in Cuhea.

The Maramuresan landscapes which I saw from the speed of the bus
(helped by an excellent natural light)
are quite charming.

Eager to know local traditions,
I visited a museum of the Maramuresan woman
(founded by Nicoara Timis) in Dragomiresti.

A wooden gate with two related symbols,
the Geto-Dacian dragon-wolf and the Roman she-wolf,
masks for festivals, costumes, kitchen utensils, carpets,
the cock as a solar symbol…
all of them with artistic features.

Close to it, in Sarbi-Valea Cozaului,
I also visited a museum of technical folk art
(practically, a museum of the Maramuresan man,
founded by Gheorghe Opris).

A house which was adorned with 4-corner stars,
installations using the water power,
a wooden gate with solar symbols,
a musical performance with many “tipurituras-strigaturas” of the host,
a folk wooden calendar…

Not in the least, in the former estate of Bogdan Voda
I admired an old wooden church in Dragomiresti,
which made me remember that the Maramuresans
are the best creators of such edifices.

Art of Maramures’ days
Attracts crepuscular rays!