#Exhibit of the Month

Porcelain is a material that has sparked great interest throughout history, and its production has been a true challenge. Also known as "white gold," porcelain is a white, translucent ceramic material obtained by firing a paste of kaolin, quartz, and feldspar, along with other additives, at high temperatures. It was first discovered and used in China. The first Chinese porcelain objects arrived in Europe in the 13th century, but a broader spread of Chinese porcelain on the European continent is recorded in the 17th century. The technology for producing porcelain was kept a secret by the Chinese for a very long time.

The first hard-paste porcelain manufactory in Europe, located in the city of Meissen, was established in 1710 due to discoveries in porcelain production made by Saxon mathematician and physicist Ehrenfried Walter von Tschirnhaus (1661-1708), which were put into practice by the royal court alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger (1682-1718). He invented the glaze and achieved the complete fusion of the shard and the glaze. The Meissen factory, still operational today, has created and continues to create a vast range of porcelain products. Crafted by the finest artists, sculptors, and engravers, who use unique hand-painted colors and exclusive designs, Meissen products are of exceptional quality and elegance, enjoying worldwide fame.

The tea set, partially consisting of seven pieces (teapot, milk jug, sugar bowl, and two cups with saucers), displayed in this showcase, is a product of the famous Meissen factory in the Kingdom of Saxony, Germany. It was crafted in the first half of the 19th century from high-quality porcelain. The exhibit became part of the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova through a transfer from the "G. Cotovschi" Memorial House in Hâncești, which was closed in 1989-1990.

The decoration of these pieces is remarkable, featuring hand-painted "German flowers," one of the well-known styles of floral and plant decoration practiced by Meissen craftsmen since the 18th century. They were influenced by Chinese porcelain, which was often adorned with images of flowers and fruits. A distinctive feature of this decorative style was the "scattered flowers" arrangement, where floral elements were placed as individual blossoms or bouquets across the surface of porcelain objects.

The marking on the underside of the pieces consists of two crossed swords, elements borrowed from the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Saxony, applied by hand with cobalt paint under the glaze. With slight variations in the representation of the swords, this mark has been used since 1722 and continues to the present day. The mark on this tea set is characterized by prominent dots on the crossed swords, a feature used at the Meissen factory between 1815 and 1860.

The polychrome floral painting, gilding, and the application of a rosebud on the lids of the teapot and sugar bowl lend a sublime delicacy to these pieces, making them rare and exquisite.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

"The Coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Maria. 1922"

A painting by Elena Bria, exhibited for the first time in the Republic of Moldova at NMHM

10 May – 31 August 2024

The National Museum of History of Moldova in partnership with the Embassy of Romania in the Republic of Moldova announces the premiere exhibition in Chisinau of the painting "The Coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Maria. 1922", author Elena Bria. The opening will take place on May 10, at 16:00 in the Blue Hall.

The painting "The Coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Maria. 1922" with dimensions 295x383 cm, executed in the oil on canvas technique, was painted in 2018 by the artist Elena Bria, as a graduation work at the "Ilya Repin" Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Since the defense of the license was set for the summer of 2018, the year of the Centenary of the Great Union, the artist decided to commemorate this complicated but also beautiful stage in the history of our country by creating a life-size artistic reconstruction of the symbolic day of the Great Union - Coronation Day. The work on the painting began in the 4th year of studies, but the compositional searches and the execution of hundreds of sketches began as early as 2015. Thus, only after 2 years did the artist decide on the final sketch. To start working on the canvas itself, the artist documented from all possible sources about the day of October 15, 1922 and sewed all the costumes of the characters involved in the composition, later to be painted from nature and to receive a result as close as possible to reality. In January 2018, Elena puts the first touches on the future painting. After 6 months of hard work, he reaches the finalization of the details and the painting itself. And, in July 2018, his presentation at the licensure exam takes place, after which the painting is decorated with the highest mention by the examination committee.

In 2022, the painting was exhibited in Bucharest, as part of the personal exhibition "New Academia" at the Kulterra gallery. From October 15, 2022, until the end of 2023, the painting was presented to the public in Alba Iulia, at the Unirii Museum in the Unirii Hall, the place where the Coronation took place. From May 10 to August 31, 2024, the painting will be integrated into the permanent exhibition, in the Blue Hall of the National History Museum of Moldova, after which it will be exhibited in two other exhibitions in Romania.

Elena Bria was born on July 4, 1992 in Chisinau, Moldova, in a family of biathletes. At the age of 11, he began his studies at the "Igor Vieru" Fine Arts High School in Chisinau, where he met the teacher and painter Stanislav Babiuc, who laid the foundations for his academic painting. Later, in 2012, Elena continued her studies at the "Ilya Repin" Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Saint Petersburg, Russia, from which she graduated with honors in 2018. The artist's works were exhibited in several exhibitions in the United States of America, Russia, Romania and the Republic of Moldova. In 2019 he won the Philip de Laszlo prize at the international exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London, and in 2022 he won the first prize at the international exhibition at the Salmadundi Club, New York. He is currently a member of the prestigious art-club Salmagundi, New York. His paintings can be found in many private collections around the world. In the autumn of this year, as part of the "The Lunar Codex" project, the digital version of the "Three Muses" painting will be sent to the Moon, in a time capsule.

The painting "The Coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Maria. 1922" can be visited between May 10 - August 31, 2024, in the Blue Hall of the National Museum of History of Moldova, Chisinau, 31 August 1989 street, 121A.