#Exhibit of the Month

The Roman bronze situla comes from a collection of archaeological artifacts confiscated at customs and transferred to the holdings of the National Museum of History of Moldova in 2009. Its place of discovery remains unknown.

A situla (Latin for "bucket") is a metal vessel-usually made of bronze-shaped like a pail and equipped with two movable handles at the top, traditionally used for mixing wine with water. The handles are attached to the vessel via two decorated ears that are welded to the rim.

The body of the situla is truncated-conical in shape and features two decorative bands with small circular patterns formed by hammering, located just below the rim.

Its base is double-layered: the inner bottom is hemispherical and hammered, while the outer bottom is flat and lathe-made. The outer base is welded to the inner bottom, serving as the vessel's foot-support.

This object was crafted using a combination of casting, hammering, and partial lathe-finishing. Dimensions: Maximum height - 31.7 cm; Maximum diameter - 22.8 cm; Base diameter - 13.5 cm

Situlae of this type originated in the Roman Empire and were later adopted by various ancient peoples, including those from the northwestern Pontic region.

Virtual Tour

Events Archive

The opening of the temporary exhibition "Magic of Lights of Other Times"

May 18, 2022

On May 18, 2022, in Room 2 on the ground floor of the National Museum of History of Moldova, the opening of the temporary exhibition "Magic of Lights of Other Times" took place.

The temporary exhibition "Magic of Lights of Other Times" is the result of research and scientific development of the collection of lighting fixtures from the National Museum of History of Moldova. It presents a variety of forms and types of devices that reflect the evolution and role of artificial lighting in everyday and spiritual life.

During the opening event, Ana Grițco, curator of the exhibition, noted that the museum pieces, in addition to their historical, scientific and artistic value, also have a memorial value. In this context, there were mentioned the silver candlestick that belonged to the family of the Bessarabian writer Constantin Stamati, the kerosene ceiling lamp from the prominent politician and philanthropist Vasile Stroescu's mansion, the electric table lamp of Academician Nicolae Dimo, the night lamp of film director Valeriu Gagiu and the table lamp of conductor B. Milyutin.

The exhibition brings together more than fifty authentic objects of scientific, historical, commemorative and aesthetic value, which form the basis of the exhibition; these pieces came into the museum's collections through transfers, purchases and donations and date back to the period from the 5th-4th centuries BC to the 1990s.

The temporary exhibition "Magic of Lights of Other Times" can be visited from May 18, 2022 to December 31, 2022.