The Mat Weaver's Homestead and Workshop from Văleni, Gorj County

     The household from Văleni village was brought to the museum in 1972, coming from a centre specialised in weaving runners (which are long, narrow carpets for use on floors and walls), and illustrates the stages of this work. The craft was practiced on a small scale in Romania, especially in villages close to ponds and marshes, and used rudimentary tools to produce runners, as well as baskets and mats, which were often given an artistic touch.  

     The house is built on two levels, of solid round oak wood, and has a relatively high pitched roof covered with shingles. Upstairs are the porch and the two rooms used as living quarters and as a workshop, and on the ground floor is the cellar. The outbuildings - the cattle shed, the cow shed and the hen house - have wickerwork walls.