Scoarţele moldoveneşti. Între popular şi artizanal
Moldavian Carpets. Between Tradition and Craftsmanship

Summary/Abstract: Moldavia is one of the historical Romanian provinces impressive by its cultural heritage: in the fields of craftsmanship, in arts or in science, Moldavia is characterized by its unsurpassed fantasy in the textile art. The Romanian historian Nicolae Iorga considered that, among the Romanian carpets, the Moldavian ones were the most traditional.16th century documents provide interesting information regarding the names and some characteristics of different fabrics, confirming their variety.The rich and various decors illustrate different aesthetic conceptions. Depending on the historical period and the geographical region, motifs had a certain meaning. Some of these signs have universal significance, some others have only local significance. In the fields of the carpets, motifs of far away origins were interpreted in the spirit of the Romanian people. They are testimonies of long trips in the Balkan world, in the Middle East, in the Mediaeval Western world, into the Byzantine world and finally in the Renaissance, grafted on the autochthonous background of forms and decors where, at the same time, they were enriched thus increasing their value. Analyzing the originality of the Moldavian textile art, we can say that on the background of cultural influences from nations coming from north and from east, the Moldavian carpet contains motifs taken from the Polish and Ukrainian tapestry. The oldest Moldavian fabrics are decoratively characterized by geometrism, expressed by schematical shapes, stylizations of some elements taken from the surrounding world. The ornaments of the carpets show two modalities of expression: the geometrism and the stylization. The simplest system of ornamentation is the linear one, made of chromatically alternated stripes. The fabric composition is a crucial criterion in establishing the specificity of the carpets. The ornamental compositions are forming a system of decorative and chromatic motifs with added elements and motifs that give aesthetic content to the object.In contrast with the wall carpet, destined to the smaller space of the peasant household, the carpet destined to the boyar’s houses had other dimensions. The size was determined by the destination of the carpets. Those of smaller dimensions, specific to the peasant household, were hanging on the walls or they were kept on the dowry chest. Those destined to the aristocratic houses were displayed on the walls as tapestry works, spread on the sofas and, only in later times, even on the floor. If the Moldavian wall carpets (păretarele) were rural creations, the carpets (scoarţele) were the result of specialized craftsmanship, reflecting a higher socioeconomic status. By size, composition and decorative interpretation, they reveal the relation between the boyars and the Moldavian bourgeoisie, the Western world, and the Ukrainian circles. The cultural influences that came with the commercial exchanges and personal relationships led to the integration and interpretation of motifs and designs, in their manner. This led to the joining of the geometric and vegetal motifs in a particular manner.

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