Ever since olden times, Romanians have worked the clay in order to create homeware and somewhere along the lines, the trade turned into an art form.Ceramics are a Romanian tradition, harmoniously combining crafts, arts and love; together, they bring to life truly special pieces.

Baia Mare ceramicsare some of the most representative in Romania, side by side with the Horezu and Corund variations.Baia Mare ceramics enrich our country’s thesaurus of unique products and are crafted by two well-known families: Bledea and Sitar.

In today’s article we will talk about the work of the Sitar family, who have a long tradition as artisans. Potter Cornel Sitar is part of a famous family in Maramures whose members, due to the value of the ceramics they create, have played an important part in our country’s culture. It all started with Cornel Sitar’s parents, Florica and Petru, two artistic and talented potters who turned their craft into art and instilled it in all their five children.

Cornel sitar is the current patriarch of the family. He has been working with the potter’s wheel since 1962, from the age of 13, and completes over 12,000 pieces annually, being one of the most important folk craftsmen in Maramures.Cornel Sitar manufactures clay pots together with his brother Liviu, while their wives, Marioara and Angela, are the artists entrusted with the decorations of the pieces.

The artistry with which Cornel Sitar molds clay is doubled by a continuous effort to discover and revitalize shapes, ornaments and color combinations from a series of bygone cultural centers in the region. He has succeeded in reintegrating long forgotten forms and motifs in the circuit of contemporary values.

All of Cornel Sitar’spiecesare fully glazed, while the color assortment is a harmonious mixture of whites, ocher, yellow, bright red, deep black, light brown and plenty of blue. The ornaments are freehanded or geometrical and represent a combination of astral, geomorphic, floral and zoomorphic images, in various adequate proportions. The paintbrush, the horn and even the artist’s fingers are used in order to decorate, shape and bring to life images that often bear a special meaning: the circle, the serpent, the wavering path, the tree of life, the spirit bird.

Throughout the years, Cornel Sitar has received over 120 national and international awards at the numerous exhibitions and events, and some of his works are currently in the private collections of Prince Akishino of Japan and of Queen Rania of Jordan. Prince Sturdza, Laura Buch or the mayor of Lyon are only a few of the celebrities who have been gifted with ceramics crafted by Cornel Sitar in Baia Mare.

Our website carries a varied range ofBaia Mare ceramics, handcrafted by the talented Cornel Sitar. The following article is dedicated to Bledea family’s take on Baia Mare ceramics.