#Exhibit of the Month

German porcelain is highly prized among antique collectors for its exceptional material quality, originality, and the meticulous craftsmanship of its decorative design.
The museum's collection preserves five figurines from one of the oldest porcelain manufactories in the Thuringia region of Germany - the statuary group known as *"The Musicians"*, crafted at the Volkstedt manufactory. These pieces entered the museum's holdings in 1991, acquired from a resident of Chișinău. With undeniable historical and artistic value, they bear the distinct imprint of the Rococo style.
The Volkstedt manufactory has a long-standing tradition in producing figurines, including those depicting musicians. In 1760, Georg Heinrich Macheleid - inventor of hard-paste porcelain in Thuringia - founded a production workshop in Zitzendorf, which was relocated to Volkstedt in 1762. Macheleid led the manufactory until 1764. Over time, the factory changed ownership and management multiple times. Under the direction of Christian Nonne, it flourished between 1767 and 1797, a period marked by significant artistic development. Volkstedt began creating figurines that would later gain international recognition.
It was during this flourishing period that the museum's porcelain statuettes, titled *"The Musicians"*, were produced. They depict five “putti”: four playing musical instruments (flute, mandolin, horn, and pipe), while the fifth conducts. Each figurine is entirely handcrafted - from modeling to painting - and delicately adorned with pastel tones and gilded details, capturing the playful movement and refined artistry of each musician. The base is made of mass-colored porcelain in a rare grey-green hue. The contrast between green, white, and gold accents lends the ensemble an unusually delicate appearance. These ornamental features are characteristic of the Rococo style, which emerged in France and is closely associated with the reign of King Louis XV.

The mark applied to the figurines consists of two crossed forks, clearly rendered in underglaze blue, with slightly blurred paint - a detail that helps date their production. Because the crossed forks often resembled the crossed swords of the Meissen trademark, the Volkstedt manufactory was compelled to change its mark starting in 1787. Initially represented by a single fork, the mark briefly returned to two forks before being replaced in 1800 by the graphic symbol "R", referencing the town of Rudolstadt. Therefore, the brief period during which the two-fork mark was reinstated - and during which the museum's figurines were likely produced - is estimated to be between 1787 and 1800.

The statuettes range in height from 10 to 18 cm and are preserved in relatively good condition.

These late 18th-century German porcelain pieces, now on display, are exceptionally rare. They stand as true works of art by German craftsmen and serve as important historical testimonies to the evolution of porcelain manufacturing in Germany.

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#Exhibit of the Month

December 2021

Engraving-document “The Battle of the Prut between the Turks and the Muscovites / The Battle of Stănilești”

A German keen on Romanian history, Robert Denndorf, donated to the museum several cultural goods of special historical and artistic significance. Among them there is the engraving “The Battle of the Prut between the Turks and the Muscovites / The Battle of Stănilești”. The work – with the dimensions: L – 420 mm, 380 mm; W – 350 mm, 300 mm – was executed by the German engraver and publisher of Swiss origin Matthӓus Merian, commissioned by the German historian Iohan Abelin known as the author under the name of Iohan Ludwig Gottfreid. It represents a general overview of the deployment of Turkish and Russian troops on the banks of the Prut, near Stănilești, before the beginning of the Battle of Stănilești (Vaslui County). In the center is the Prut River, in the upper part of the river being placed the Ottoman army and in the lower part – that of Russia, supported by the troops of Dimitrie Cantemir (Principality of Moldavia). By means of various symbols on the engraving certain actions and things are indicated and numbered, without decipherments and explanations. At the bottom of the engraving, in the center, in a frame, there is the title of the work in German: “Action bey der Prutt zwijehen denen Turcken und Mofcowiten”. The engraving was first published in 1715 in the historical journal “Theatrum Europaeum” founded by Mattthӓus Merian and issued in German between 1633 and 1738. Later, it was reproduced in 1673 in the book in Italian “Colonna Traiana – Eretta Dal Senato, E. Popolo Romano All, imperatore Traiano Augusto Nel Suo Foro in Roma” [“Trajan's Column, erected by the Senate and the Roman people to Emperor Trajan in his forum in Rome”]. The volume also included an exposition in Latin by Alfonso Ciaccone. As a result of the Battle of Stănilești, the Phanariotes regime was established in Moldavia in 1711, and in Wallachia in 1716. Dimitrie Cantemir settled in Russia.

The engraving-document “The Battle of the Prut between the Turks and the Muscovites / The Battle of Stănilești” is one of the first images in the medieval history of Romania, depicting the historical event of the early 18^th century – the Battle of Stănilești, which had important consequences for Moldavia and Wallachia. There are no images on this topic by Romanian authors of the 18^th century. The only depictions known to date are by Western artists.

The engraving has a remarkable artistic and historical value and is classified as a piece of movable cultural heritage in the Treasure category.