The Fețeni Triptych (Vâlcea)
Over time, village communities have built throughout the country numerous monuments to accommodate the spiritual needs of the inhabitants. Amongst them, a special place is occupied by crosses and triptychs. The latter were placed on the outskirts of villages, at crossroads, on the borders, near wells and springs, in cemeteries or to commemorate a place where some people lost their lives.
The National Village Museum exhibits two triptychs: one from Răşinari (Sibiu) and the other one from Feţeni (Vâlcea).
The triptych from Feţeni (Vâlcea County) was brought to the museum in 1958. The vertical bar is made out of a massive oak wood trunk. The horizontal bar, also oak wood, is built with two rows of crosses fixed between the beams. The hipped roof is covered with shingles. The part of the triptych facing the road is painted with biblical scenes and features a memorial in Cyrillic, with Latin letters interspersed. This type of transitional alphabet dates back to the 19th century. Granted its ingenious design – multiple bars and arcs connected, as well as the artistic paintings, the Feţeni triptych demonstrates the ingenuity and originality of craftsmen that have built it with a semblance to a „Tree of life”.
