FLOARE FINTA – LIVING HUMAN TREASURE
Aunt (the way elderly women are called in the Land of Oaș) Floare Finta creates folk objects, souvenirs and ornaments, traditional folk costumes, but she is also known in the area as a healer, as the “herbal remedies” she makes out of plants and gives to those in suffering are an alternative to classical medicine.

On November 14, 2012, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage awarded her with the ā€žLiving Human Treasureā€ title, and in 2015, the President of Romania conferred on her the 3rd class Cultural Merit medal (category E “National Cultural Heritage”), “in appreciation of the dedication and talent placed in the service of preserving and promoting the traditional art and crafts, imposing herself among the personalities of the Romanian spirituality as a Living Human Treasure ā€.

She is an honorary citizen of the town of Negrești-Oaș and an active presence in the landscape of local and regional cultural activities.


FLOARE HOTCA – ILLUMINATOR OF THE VILLAGES
Hotca Floare creates folk miniature costumes, folk objects, souvenirs and ornaments and is a keeper of local gastronomy. For the contribution brought to the preservation and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage of the Oaș Land ethnographic area, in 2013, the County authorities granted her the ā€žIlluminator of the Villagesā€ distinction.


ISTVƁNFI FAMILY – POTTERY
The IstvĆ”nfi family, composed of Gheza and Emma IstvĆ”nfi, is the only family of potters in the Land of Oaș.

Long ago, the town of Vama, near Negrești-Oaș, was one of the most flourishing centers of pottery, as this craft was being passed down from generation to generation. The members of the IstvĆ”nfi family are the only craftsmen who continue this tradition, both at home, in their pottery workshop and at the Oaș Land Museum. The two spouses form a team, complementing each other in the creation of ceramic objects: Mr. Gheza deals with the preparation and modeling of the clay, the drying of the vessels, while Mrs. Emma skillfully and carefully paints each object, respecting the patterns of pottery.


DORINA MERCEA – LAVANDA OAȘ
Dorina Mercea processes the lavender cultivated by her on the coast of Boinești (village in the Oaș Land), under the brand “Lavanda Oaș”.

By distilling the lavender she gets essential oil and floral water, while out of the fresh flowers she makes bouquets, syrup, aromatic vinegar, cookies, a.s.o. Moreover, the dried lavender flowers are used for therapeutic purposes for tea, wardrobe sachets, lavender filled cushions and other lavender decorations. From the beehives “guarding” the lavender field she gets the lavender honey.


ANA MARE
Also Nicknamed the “mother of dolls from the Land of Oaş”, Ana Mare is a craftsman who has been making traditional clothes of various sizes to dress dolls and bottles for over 20 years. Over time she has participated in numerous cultural events and craft fairs, both home and abroad (Hungary, Ukraine, Germany, Italy, Poland, etc.).


HOTCA ANA or BEREȘOAIA
Hotca Ana or Bereșoaia, as neighbors call her, still practices what her mother taught her in her childhood days and gladly tells anyone how hemp is cultivated and processed to make fiber, how to sew and embroider by hand or how to make traditional pastries.

She creates and embroiders by hand traditional shoulder bags, bead embellished accesories, hats, folk costumes for dolls, etc.

In her small museum room she still keeps some traditional tools used in the traditional household long time ago, as well as old traditional clothes, hats, decorated towels and fabrics.
She also actively participates in various cultural local and regional events.


MARIA FINTA
Maria Finta grew fond of handicrafting thanks to her mother, who taught her all the secrets of the craft. Today she creates and embroiders by hand folk costumes, traditional women blouses, men hats of different sizes and bead embellished ornaments and accesories (necklaces, bracelets, etc.).

Bud Mirela – craftsman / collar maker

Bud Mirela makes collars, bracelets, earrings and belts from small colored beads and decorates taditional men hats. She learned the secrets of the craft on her own and participated in various local and regional fairs and exhibitions.


Deac Mihaela Ionela – craftsman / collar maker

Deac Mihaela Ionela makes collars, bracelets, earrings and belts from small colored beads and decorates taditional men hats. It was her mother that taught her the secrets of the craft. Mihaela participated in various local and regional fairs and exhibitions.


Torz Anna –  seamstress, folk costumes

It was her mother that taught Torz Anna, since childhood, to sew and embroider authentic Oaș Land folk costumes, as well as to weave in strands necklaces and collars from brightly colored small beads, with floral or geometric patterns. She proudly participates in local events, fairs and exhibitions.