#Exhibit of the Month

This clay vessel was discovered in 1982 by archaeologist V. Sorochin during excavations of a burial mound (no. 1) located in the village of Speia, Dubăsari District. It originates from grave no. 5 and is dated to the 4th millennium BC, belonging to the Usatovo culture.
The vessel was found in a child's grave. The burial pit had an oval shape, and the deceased was laid in a crouched position (similar to the fetal posture), on the left side. A total of five vessels were uncovered in this grave: three near the back, one at the feet, and one in the pelvic area.
The cultural attribution of this funerary complex was determined based on the burial rite and grave goods. This culture is characterized by the specific construction of the burial pit, as well as the positioning and orientation of the deceased toward the east and northeast.

The vessel is shaped from clay mixed with finely crushed shell. Its walls curve gradually toward the top, with the widest diameter at the shoulder area. It has a short neck, a slightly flared rim, and a flat base. The surface is carefully polished, in some areas to a lustrous finish. The interior is reddish-brown, while the exterior is yellowish-brown with gray spots. The rim features groups of perforations, three of which are preserved in their original state. The diameter of the holes is 0.35 cm. The space between the groups of perforations is decorated with cord impressions. The transition from the neck to the shoulder is adorned with three horizontal lines made with cord, from which, in five places, three vertical lines descend, each 5 cm long, executed using the same technique. At the time of discovery, these lines were filled with a white paste. The space between the groups of lines is decorated at the top with short vertical lines (0.5 cm long), and in the center with a meander ornament made of two parallel lines impressed with cord. The base of the vessel retains the imprint of a textile.
Vessel dimensions: Height: 22 cm; Rim diameter: 15.7 cm; Maximum diameter: 22 cm; Base diameter: 10 cm.

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Exhibitions

„Icons from private collections from Chișinău”

July 21, 2016 - February 19, 2017

On July 21, 2016, the National Museum of History of Moldova and the International Club of Collectors from Moldova opened the exhibition „Icons from private collections from Chișinău", which will be on display until December 31, 2016.

This is a new practice for Moldovan collectors to collaborate with public institutions in order to display to a larger public the antiques they have collected over the years. Besides the tendency to collect objects of different categories, including ritual artifacts, the merit of collectors, as well as public institutions, is the safeguard and preservation of heritage assets. In case of icons, their collection and conservation in private collections was perhaps the most appropriate way to salvage them from imminent danger of total disappearance in certain historical periods.

The exhibition has on display 127 icons painted on wood, oil and tempera, dated with the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Most exhibited icons are of Russian origin, but there are also some examples created in Bessarabia.
The exhibition is divided into several distinct sections and presents a grouping of religious icons of the Mother of God, of the Saviour and St. Nicholas. The public will familiarize with the most representative Mariological icon types: Hodighitria, Eleusa, Oranta, Aghiosoritissa. Among displayed icons with Christological theme are: Jesus Christ Pantocrator, Christ the High Priest, the Holy Veil, the Icon of the Resurrection etc. A remarkable collection of icons with the image of St. Nicholas will be displayed, protection icons, icons with several registers and icons dedicated to holy martyrs and pious saints, such as icons with the image of St. John the Baptist, Saints Samon, Gurie and Aviv, St. Evdokia, St. Fotinia, St. Catherine, St. Tatiana etc.

All icons in the exhibition are displayed the first time to the visiting public, which makes the exhibition extremely valuable.

Exhibition „Icons from private collections from Chișinău”

#Exhibit of the Month

Clay Vessel discovered in Speia Village, Dubăsari District

„Icons from private collections from Chișinău”

July 21, 2016 - February 19, 2017

#Exhibit of the Month