#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.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

“In the World of Toys”

(December 16, 2010 - February 16, 2011)

The exhibition entitled “In the World of Toys” brings together over 300 objects dated from the 4th millennium B.C. to 2010, for the most part from private collections. The exhibits were selected by the criteria of exceptional state of conservation, intrinsic value, and uniqueness. The work in collaboration with the State University, Teleradio Moldova Studio, and collectors from the Republic of Moldova and Romania revealed extremely interesting items in terms of science, esthetics, and origin.

The history of toys evidently is as old as the history of human world. The oldest toys were made of materials found in nature, such as wood and clay. So, the exhibition presents an ensemble of figurative objects: rattles of the 4th millennium B.C. (National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova), anthropomorphic figurines dated from the 4th century B.C. (Museum of Antiquities of the State University of Moldova), zoomorphic figurines and miniature vessels of the 9th-10th centuries A.D. (National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova). The exhibition is continued with wooden toys (Ion Podaru’s collection), ceramic whistles (Iurie Caminschi’s collection), wooden pipes (Grigore Posternac’s collection), dolls of straw and corn husk (collections of Natalia Cangea and Vera Muzlaeva).

Another category of toys, which gives a shade of elegance to the exhibition, consists of dolls of papier-mâché and porcelain made in France, Germany and USA. Of particular interest is a doll of papier-mâché and porcelain made in France in 1860 (Mihai Ciocanu’s collection). The exhibition also includes dolls made of porcelain in 1920, 1960-90 (Galina Kharzhevskaya’s collection).

The next part of the exhibition brings together plastic, celluloid, and rubber dolls made in Germany (1960-1990) and USSR (1950-1990). The most interesting are toys produced by the Durlesti Dolls Factory, the only enterprise of this kind in the territory of the Republic of Moldova during 1960-1990.

A special group of exhibits consists of the toys for boys: tin soldiers (Emma Azina’s collection), toy cars (collections of Sergiu Gutu and Iurie Revenco), and toy trains (Victor Tocmacov’s collection).

On display there are also puppets of the Prichindel TV Puppet-show and the Guguta Municipal Puppet-show. The exhibition is complemented with works of the Origami Center Moldova, illustrated postcards and photographs from the collections of the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova, the Nina Djos’s collection of dolls in national costumes, and teddy bears (Tatiana Sukhoparenko’s collection).

The exhibition ends with a group of contemporary toys, such as the dolls of Cleopatra (Valentina Anton’s collection), Bratz, and Barbie, the Disney characters. The exhibition will be open to the public from December 16, 2010 to February 16, 2011.

#Exhibit of the Month

Clay Vessel discovered in Speia Village, Dubăsari District

“In the World of Toys”

(December 16, 2010 - February 16, 2011)

#Exhibit of the Month