#Exhibit of the Month

The bronze hoard was discovered on the territory of Mîndrești village, Telenești district, in 1968. It was identified accidentally by a group of students from the village school, and the materials later came to the attention of specialists at the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences. According to documentary records, the hoard was composed of ten pieces: four socketed axes (celts), a dagger fragment, a sword fragment, a sickle, a winged axe, an adze-axe, and a chain consisting of four links.
Currently, of the mentioned assemblage, six objects are preserved in the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova: two socketed axes (celts), the winged axe, the adze-axe, the dagger fragment, and the chain made of four links.- Socketed axe (celt) with one loop. Dimensions: Length - 10.2 cm; Weight - 186 g.
- Socketed axe (celt) with one frontal loop. Dimensions: Length - 8.4 cm; Width: 33-46 mm; Weight - 124 g.
- Winged axe. Dimensions: Length - 14.0 cm; Width - 2.5-3.4 cm; Weight - 285 g.
- Adze-axe. Dimensions: Length - 14.8 cm; Width - 2.3-5.0 cm; Weight - 286 g.
- Dagger fragment. Dimensions: Length - 16.5 cm; Blade length - 9.8 cm; Blade width - 2.8 cm; Weight - 81 g.
- Chain formed of four links. Dimensions: Length - 17.1 cm; Link diameter - 3.8; Weight - 32 g.The bronze hoard of Mîndrești is important due to the association of objects that find analogies in the regional repertoire with pieces that show clear analogies in Central Europe and the Carpathian Basin. The assemblage reflects a zone of contact and interaction where metallic forms of different origins and traditions circulated and were integrated into the repertoire of local communities.
Chronologically, the bronze hoard of Mîndrești is attributed to the Early Hallstatt period - HaA1, being dated to 1200-1100 BC.

Virtual Tour

October 2020

Fabergé inkwell

Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920), was a famous jeweler of French origin, who became the official supplier of jewelry for the Imperial House in Russia, and when we say Fabergé, we mean not just jewelry, but rather works of art.

The famous Russian jewelry House of Fabergé received worldwide recognition for the elegance and uniqueness of its products. In the late 19th - early 20th century, the House of Fabergé was a world-class phenomenon known for its famous "Easter eggs" made of precious metals and stones. The first egg was crafted in 1885, when Tsar Alexander III decided to give his wife a special gift on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of their marriage. Since the jubilee fell on Easter, the tsar asked C. Fabergé to create a unique decoration in the form of an egg, which would be extremely precious, like his wife Maria. This is how Faberge eggs and the annual Easter tradition of donating them appeared at the court of the Russian Tsar. For 32 years, before the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, which led to the fall of the tsarist monarchy, the House of Fabergé created about 70 eggs, of which more than 50 have survived to this day, and each of them is a work of art of rare beauty, a symbol of luxury and aristocracy.

Among the treasures stored in the National Museum of History of Moldova, there are also Fabergé jewelry items. Here we present to the attention of visitors a silver inkwell of the 19th century, covered with stylized ornaments in the Russian Modern Style influenced by medieval Russian-Byzantine art. The body of the item represents a ball with small spherical legs on a marble stand in the form of a truncated pyramid. The inkwell is completely covered with stylized patterns of rare beauty and decorated with pearls and malachite. This work of art is 15 cm high and 9 cm in diameter. The lid is made in the form of a traditional dome of Russian churches.

#Exhibit of the Month

The Bronze Hoard of Mîndrești

October 2020

Fabergé inkwell

#Exhibit of the Month