Casa Olarului "Vasile Gonciari"
The workshop of the last great potter of Hogineşti
A live pottery demonstration on the traditional wheel with one of the last masters in Hoginești
Worth it if you want to see traditional pottery alive: a wheel demonstration with one of the last master potters of Hoginești.
Vasile Gonciari is one of the last potter masters in the village of Hoginești, for centuries one of Moldova's most important ceramics centres (traditional black ceramics is specific to the village of Ciorești, Nisporeni). In his house turned workshop-museum you can see the potter's wheel in motion, the traditional kiln, and a collection of handmade clay pots, jugs and vessels. The visit includes a live demonstration (you can even try the wheel yourself) and a conversation about how the craft is passed from father to son. Call ahead to confirm he's home. At 70 km from Chișinău, the trip is worth combining with Hâncu monastery or the Codru forest. Vessels are sold directly from the workshop at fair prices.
- a genuine master craftsman
- an experience you will not repeat elsewhere
- traditional ceramics
- The master's hands at the traditional wheel
- The collection of black clay jugs and pots
- The traditional kiln for firing the ceramics
- Trying the wheel yourself, clay on your hands
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“Good tour of the place with nice explanations, but all leading up to a pottery class filled with misogyny and sexism. Would not recommend. Bad experience.”
“I agree with the previous review. The talented craftmanship and the pottery-making experience is ruined by the speech of the man presenting the masterclass. He talked a lot about himself, acted misogynist, and sexualised the process, which made the women of our group not at ease at all”
“I want to start with one of the most important fact: this was one of the most amazing experience I had. Vasilii Gonciari explained everything in details, starting fith extraction of kaolin and finishing with the use of final product. He is tacking in consideration the quality and safety which I am very thankful. No toxic material used. I got the chance to purchase a lot of st…”