#Exhibit of the Month

The exhibited necklace of beads originates from Funerary Complex No. 6 of Kurgan No. 4, excavated in 1982 by Dr. Habil. Eugen SAVA near the town of Taraclia. The beads were found in the chest area of the deceased, indicating that they had been worn as a necklace and had remained in their original position within the funerary assemblage.
The necklace consists of 11 elements made entirely of Egyptian faience. Eight of the beads are spherical and decorated with vertical incisions forming between 14 and 21 raised ribs. Their diameters range from 13 to 20 mm. Two additional elements are scarab representations measuring 23.5 × 19.5 mm, while the final component is a flattened cylindrical pendant bead featuring a central vertical groove and measuring 22 × 9 mm. The objects range in color from light blue to dark blue and violet hues, reflecting the natural deterioration and glaze variations characteristic of Egyptian faience.
Egyptian faience is an artificial quartz-based material coated with an alkaline glaze, typically blue or blue-green in color. It was widely used in Ancient Egypt and later spread throughout the Mediterranean and Pontic regions through trade networks. During the first centuries AD, such objects served as important indicators of cultural and economic contacts between the Mediterranean world and the communities of the North Pontic region.
Owing to its typological, technological, and symbolic characteristics, the Taraclia necklace is an exceptionally valuable artifact for the study of intercultural relations, the circulation of prestige goods, and the funerary practices of the Sarmatian communities during the first centuries AD (1st-2nd centuries AD).

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Events Archive

Opening of the Exhibition “Show Me Your Pain” Vol. III

October 21, 2024

On October 21, 2024, in the context of the European Day against pain, the National History Museum of Moldova hosted the opening of the exhibition "Show Me Your Pain," the result of a unique performance conducted during a scientific seminar in Salzburg, Austria, earlier this year. The project randomly paired eight volunteers with eight artists, each volunteer completing a detailed questionnaire that included demographic data, pain intensity scores, and comparisons of pain with basic sensory experiences.

The ceremony was held in English, being opened by Iana Burmistr, president of the Society for the study and combat of pain, presenting the other artists involved in the project.

In private sessions, the artists met with the volunteers to discuss anything except pain, with the pain descriptors extracted exclusively from the completed questionnaires. The exhibition brought together the resulting paintings, offering a visual interpretation of pain through the sensory experiences described by the volunteers.

Visitors were invited to experience these pains through a collection of unique artworks, each reflecting the artist's interpretation of the volunteer's pain. This included opportunities to touch and taste pain, inviting the audience to connect emotionally and sensorially with the displayed works. The original paintings, held by the artists, were accompanied by digital copies that were nearly identical in size to the originals, providing a rare opportunity to contemplate the complexity of human pain.

This event was carried out by the Moldovan Society for the Study and Combat of Pain in partnership with Art Forum Salzburg, the WHO and the US Government, as part of a wider pain awareness campaign aimed at encouraging open discussions about pain experiences, promoting thus empathy and a better understanding of pain management.

The exhibition "Show Me Your Pain" explored the interaction between pain and color perception, highlighting how sensory experiences influence pain perception. This initiative underscored the importance of effective communication in pain management and the relevance of innovative approaches to understanding this complex issue.

The "Show Me Your Pain" exhibition can be visited until November 8, 2024.