Marginea and the black pottery workshops

Marginea, a commune in Suceava county, is known for the workshops where black ceramics are produced. The color of the vessels results from a firing in which the amount of oxygen is reduced and the smoke penetrates the heated clay. The tradition is preserved by families of local potters.

In the workshops you can see vessels shaped on the wheel, left to dry and prepared for the kiln. Jugs, bowls and mugs have traditional shapes and polished ornaments, obtained by rubbing the surface. The contrast between the matte and glossy areas is due to the processing of the clay, without the need for a black glaze.

Photo: Alexander Klink · Photo source · CC BY 4.0. Cropping the top of the photo for the town name and pottery, then proportionally resizing to 650 × 400 px; removal of technical metadata.