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.
Abstract: In the work on the materials of a cremation burial in bronze situla of the 2nd-1st centuries BC, which was found in Mana village (Orhei district), we have taken for comparative and anthropological analysis remains of calcined bones from the burial in situla from Sipoteni (Călărași district) published in 1950s (fig. 1).
Osteological research of the contents of the bronze vessel from Sipoteni (fig. 2) showed that the remains belonged to a man 20-30 years old. In the burial urn a fragment of a black-burnished vessel, a silver fibula of the Middle La Tene type (fig. 4), an iron ring, and an amorphous iron object were found. The grave goods also contain a bronze situla (fig. 3), identical in shape and size, which was found near the funeral urn. Researches attributed the Sipoteni burial to the 2nd-1st centuries BC, a period of domination of Bastarnae tribes in the central and northern part of the Carpathian-Dniester region. Our own comparative analysis of this type of bronze vessels showed that they are similar with identical containers from the Middle Danube sites, as well as from northern Italy, southern France and Spain, which were used by Celtic tribes as funeral urns.
To the east of the Carpathians identical bronze vessels were found in the village of Mana, at the site of Bădeni (Iași) (fig. 5), and as part of the so-called odd hoards from Bădragii Noi (fig. 7), Vesela Dolina, and Maryevka (fig. 10) (in the region from the Eastern Carpathians to the Dnieper and the Don at least 50 so-called hoards were found), including ones in the bronze vessels, which we have mentioned.
Some researchers' attempts to attribute the situlae from Sipoteni, Bădragii Noi, Vesela Dolina, Maryevka, etc. to the type of Eggers 18-23 or the type of Bargfeld seem to us to fail, because these bronze vessels have slender shape, riveted bronze or iron attaches and the maximum diameter of the vessels is at the height of the fourth part. The East Carpathian situlae are of less slender proportions, and the largest diameter is located at the third part of the height of the vessels. In addition, the East Carpathian vessels have no trace of riveted attaches. They either have a different system of handles attachment (Fig. 9) or have no traces of them.
Morphological features of bronze situlae found to the east of the Carpathians made it possible to attribute vessels without handles and attaches or traces of rivets to a special type - the type of Mana (fig. 8), and bronze containers with mobile iron handles - to the Bădragii Noi variant of the same type (fig. 9).
Most researchers dated the bronze situlae within the 1st century BC. Analysis of the grave goods from the cremation burial complexes identified at Sipoteni and Mana (bronze situlae, silver fibula, weapons of Celtic type, etc.), as well as analysis of objects from odd hoards confirm that they belong to the 1st century BC, likely to the first half of this chronological interval.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. Map of the place near Sipoteni where the cremation burial was found. Fig. 2. Sipoteni. Bronze situla - a funeral urn (photo, drawing). Fig. 3. Sipoteni. Bronze situla - grave goods (photo, drawing). Fig. 4. Sipoteni. Silver fibula (photo, drawing). Fig. 5. Bronze situla from Bădeni (Iași) (photo, drawing). Fig. 6. Bronze situla from Bădragii Noi (Edineț) (photo, drawing). Fig. 7. Graphic reconstruction of the iron handle of the situla from Bădragii Noi (Edineț). Fig. 8. Typology of situlae. Type of Mana (1-2 - Sipoteni; 3 - Mana; 4 - Bădeni). Fig. 9. Typology of situlae. Variant of Bădragii Noi, type of Mana (1 - Bădragii Noi; 2 - Vesela Dolina; 3 - Maryevka). Fig. 10. Map of the spreading of bronze situlae to the east of the Carpathians: 1. Sipoteni (Călărași); 2. Mana (Orhei); 3. Bădeni (Iași); 4. Bădragii Noi (Edineț); 5. Veselaja Dolina (Odesa); 6. Mar'evka (Nikolaev); 7. Brad (Bacău); 8. Bâtca Doamnei (Neamț); 9. Răcătău (Bacău); 10. Poienești (Vaslui) Fig. 11. Sipoteni. Remains of burnt human bones. Male 20-30 years old. The degree of fragmentation of the skeleton Fig. 12. A fragment of the frontal bone, the upper edge of the right orbit with traces of iron oxide. Fig. 13. Fragment of hip bone, close to the sciatic curve. Fig. 14. Fragment of the parietal bone, closer to the sagittal suture. Fig. 15. Fragment of the tooth root, perhaps premolar. Fig. 16. Fragment of the occipital bone. Fig. 17. A fragment of the temporal bone. Fig. 18. Fragment of a lumbar vertebra. Fig. 19. Vertebral arches, fragmented. Fig. 20. Fragments of epiphyses, some with traces of metal oxides. Fig. 21. Metatarsal bone I, fragment, distal end. Fig. 22. Left femur, fragment. Fig. 23. Phalanxes of fingers in anatomical order. Fig. 24. Tibia, diaphysis fragment, with longitudinal cracks. Fig. 25. Femur, diaphysis fragment, with transverse cracks. Visible metal oxides. Fig. 26. Humerus, diaphysis fragment. Fig. 27. Radial bone, diaphysis fragment. Fig. 28. Fibula, diaphysis fragment. Fig. 29. Fragments of the epiphysis and metaphysis of the femur. Transition from carbonization to calcination. Fig. 30. Fragments of deformed diaphyses with traces of metal oxides. Fig. 31. Radial bone, diaphysis fragment (with traces of possible injury). Fig. 32. Maximum temperature mode in color and patterns of bone damage.
Ion Tentiuc
Sergiu Musteață, Populația spațiului pruto-nistrean în secolele VIII-IX. Editura Pontos, Chișinău 2005, 189 p., rezumat în limba engleză, indice, 10 tabele, 7 diagrame, 4 hărți, 78 planșe cu figuri, 12 foto, ISBN 9975-926-43-6
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Ion Tentiuc, Valeriu Bubulici, Angela Simalcsik
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Profesorul, savantul și omul de cultură Gheorghe Postică la 60 de ani
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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...
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.