One of the most characteristic sights in Maramureş is the monumental wooden gates that ‘front’ many of the farmhouses that line the village streets. Sadly they too are disappearing as people find they cannot afford new ones and replace them with metal or plastic. The ropework designs that you can see here have been traced back to patterns on Neolithic grave goods discovered in the area. The gates are a sign that the household is part of the Maramureş aristocracy, or nemeş.
One of the oldest gates in the region, this one dates from 1938 and is shown in its original setting outside a house in Mara village. One of its charms is the silhouettes of protective symbols including cocks and axes that go right along the ridge. The Ethnography Museum in Baia Mare bought the gate but left it in situ until a few years ago when it was rescued from demolition and is now awaiting reconstruction in the museum’s grounds.
Detail of the carving on the gate above, showing a man riding a horse and a cow, in the village of Budeşti.
Floral pattern based on a tree of life motif on a barn door in Călineşti.
Arta Lemnului (Woodcarving)
