ABSTRACT
In the specialized literature, the village of Curteni, within the area of Huşi, county of Vaslui, is presented as a producer of black and red ceramic ware, the red pottery being also enemeled, starting from the 19th century.
Morphologically, the ceramics produced down there can be included in the bigger category of utilitarian pottery necessary for preparing and keeping food items.
Given its age, this type of ceramic ware is righteously considered as the oldest one still in use nowadays. Most of the pottery production centres in Moldavia took over the shapes, decoration and typology of pots specific to the La Tène period in Dacia.
Playing an important role in the economy of the area – as a matter of fact pottery has been a very renowned craft within the Central Moldavian Plateau – the production of ceramic ware in Curteni is the work of talented craftsmen and Vasile Ochiană is one of the best. The pots he created have been appreciated by the inhabitants of the area with the occasion of local fairs and markets, but also during specialized events of greater amplitude, such as the Pottery Contest of 1908 in Bucharest.
Typologically, out of the black ceramic ware produced by the above craftman, mention should be made of the huge pots, of ovoid shapes, dishes, milk pots, pitchers of various shapes and dimensions, the străchinile, oalele de lapte, ulcioarele de forme şi mărimi diferite, pouring cups, all of them being part of a very wide series of objects.
The presentation of some aspects of folk life and culture specific to the village of Curteni, strictly related to the production of ceramic ware, offers a larger picture as for the role of various crafts within the life of the rural community.