27/10/2017

Etsy sales winter 2017 by Goddess Gruia

Mixed media on canvas by Ana-Maria Gruia

In the spirit of the approaching holidays, my shop on Etsy - the Goddess Gruia - has a special, limited time offer: there will be one or more free linocut bookmarks for every order PLUS free shipping for orders over 50$ (until the end of the year) AND 15% off all listings over 35$ (until November 14th)!

I have also introduced new shop sections:

Feel free to check them out on Etsy.

14/10/2017

Austro-Hungarian paper money on sale

The Transylvanian Trove on Etsy has just added items in the category of collectibles, i.e. paper money issued in Austro-Hungary in the beginning of the twentieth century:

The first is a lot of four circulated twenty filler banknotes from Hungary. Nominal value: husz (20) filler. Issued by the Magyar Postatakarekpenztar Bank (Hungarian Post-Office Savings Bank) on October 2nd 1920. Dimensions: 87 X 57mm (3.4 x 2.2 inches).

The second is a pair of circulated two crowns banknotes from Austro-Hungary. Nominal value: ket (2) korona / zwei kronen. Text in various languages of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy (German, Hungarian, Slavic). Issued by the Austro-Hungarian Bank on March 1st 1917. Dimensions: 48 X 32 mm (1.8 x 1.2 inches). See the presentation of krone emissions HERE. About krona and filler (Heller) HERE.

20 filler banknote 1920

Reverse of the 20 filler banknotes of 1920

Ket korona banknotes 1917

Revers of the above, zwei kronen

11/10/2017

Recreating Roman perfumes

Saturday, October 14th, from 11 AM until 3 PM, there is a new workshop at Camp Virtus, near Cluj. The experimental archaeology and reenactment meeting is dedicated to Roman perfumes, unguents, and creams. There will be a presentation of the sources and other reconstruction attempts, of the ingredients and procedures, followed by a hands-on workshop and concluded with the tasting of Roman food recipes.

The meeting is part of the "Labyrinth through" time cultural project, co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration of Romania and implemented by Virtus Antiqua NGO.

See other experiments:

Smell like Julius Caesar: recreating ancient perfumes in the laboratory

The Scent of Love: Ancient Perfumes

Read our handout (in Romanian)

08/10/2017

Labyrinth through time - a different kind of reenactment event

The dates are set for the Labyrinth through time event I've been talking about. Thus, on October 21st and 22nd the entire hill of Camp Virtus will be transformed in a giant labyrinth inhabited by characters born out of the Antiquity. Unlike usual historical reenactment shows in Romania, this is not a spectacle to see but an experience to immerse yourself in. Once in the labyrinth visitors will meet and interact with Dacians, Romans (gladiators, auxiliary soldiers, civilians, priests) and Celts, will smell and taste ancient recipes and snacks, will touch natural samples and guess their ancient uses, will make their own ancient perfumes in unguentaria, will take part in the uncovering of a pottery firing pit and in the reenactment of Roman religious rituals, will weave on a vertical loom, will be able to practice shooting a bow and play Roman board games. There will also be an archaeology corner, with children being explained the principles of excavation and stratigraphy and then discovering strange objects, filing and keeping them.
Still, a show part is also included, with gladiatorial fights (munera) and military drills (with commands given in Latin, naturally).

Labyrinth through time event, 21-22 October 2017 at Camp Virtus

The event is family-oriented, with families of volunteers dressed in the era's costumes and inhabiting the labyrinth and the experiences designed with families of visitors in mind, where adults mediate and help the young experiment and learn. Still, all types of visitors are welcome, as access is in no way restricted to them.
We shall also hold a special ceremony for the volunteers involved in the weekend meetings, granting them diplomas and prizes, and the final event and a campfire to end the event.