Săcel, Maramureș

Săcel (Hungarian: Izaszacsal, Yiddish: סיטשל‎) is a commune in Maramureş County, Romania. Composed of a single village, Săcel, it is the last locality up the Iza Valley. From here one can get to the Vişeu Valley through Dealul Moiseiului Pass (towards the northeast) and to Transylvania (specifically Năsăud, towards the south) through Dealul Ştefāniţei Pass, which separates the Ţibleş and Rodna Mountains.

Săcel pottery

Săcel is famous for its red, unglazed pottery obtained through ancient, Dacian techniques that date back more than 2000 years ago. Nowadays, an ancient Roman type oven is used for burning the clay. Săcel pots are manufactured in Dacian style and they are ornamented using mineral elements. The ornaments are simple and resemble natural elements (the flow of water, the sun, the line of life, folkloric motifs). These elements were also used in the Dacian ceramics.

The ceramist Tanase Burnar from Sācel belongs to a family in which pottery making was transmitted from generation to generation. He is the son of Tanase Cocian, the famous craftsman. Tanase Burnar is familiarised with the potter's wheel since he was 10, when he started to make his first objects. Now he makes with great skill ceramic plates, pots, cups and jugs burned once in the oven. The oven uses wood fire so the colour of the clay is preserved. The clay used is kaolin, a fine and dense clay taken from deep springs (10-15m) in Drobodeava Hill, Săcel.

Tourist attractions

• The Iza Spring nature reserve
• The pottery workshop of Burnar Tānase
• The folk masks workshop of Vasile Şuşca
• The workshop of Grigore Ţulean, the sculptor
• The watermills

Gallery

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  Săcel pottery made using ancient, Dacian techniques

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  Săcel pot

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  Viaduct

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  Tănase Cocian with his son and grandson

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  Mask made by Vasile Şuşca

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  Vasile Şuşca

References

Maramureș County, Romania Cities Baia Mare (county seat) Sighetu Marmației Towns Baia Sprie Borșa Cavnic Dragomirești Săliștea de Sus Seini Șomcuta Mare Târgu Lăpuș Tăuții-Măgherăuș Ulmeni Vișeu de Sus Communes Ardusat Ariniș Asuaju de Sus Băița de sub Codru Băiuț Bârsana Băsești Bicaz Bistra Bocicoiu Mare Bogdan Vodă Boiu Mare Botiza Budești Călinești Câmpulung la Tisa Cernești Cicârlău Coaș Coltău Copalnic-Mănăștur Coroieni Cupșeni Desești Dumbrăvița Fărcașa Gârdani Giulești Groși Groșii Țibleșului Ieud Lăpuș Leordina Mireșu Mare Moisei Oarța de Jos Ocna Șugatag Oncești Petrova Poienile de sub Munte Poienile Izei Recea Remetea Chioarului Remeți Repedea Rona de Jos Rona de Sus Rozavlea Ruscova Săcălășeni Săcel Sălsig Săpânța Sarasău Satulung Șieu Șișești Strâmtura Suciu de Sus Vadu Izei Valea Chioarului Vima Mică Vișeu de Jos