The music is recorded on a cylinder with pins. The interior is divided into three compartments: the first contains the crank and the mechanism that operates the cylinder with pins, the second - the cylinder with pins and vibrating lamellae, and the third - two levers for starting and stopping the melody. The cylinder holds seven melodies by W.A. Mozart, which are played through the vibration of steel teeth arranged in a comb, whose tips are adjacent to the cylinder. The lid of the box features floral marquetry on its outer surface. This cultural asset is classified under the "Tezaur" category.
The Story of Musical Boxes
Musical boxes originated in Switzerland at the end of the 18th century. In 1796, watchmaker Antoine Favre-Salomon invented a pocket watch with an incorporated musical mechanism, using the principle of tuned metal lamellae. The invention quickly spread, soon leading to the creation of musical boxes independent of watches.
Initially invented and built for the salon entertainment of the aristocracy, musical boxes quickly evolved, capturing the market and public interest with these entertainment machines. The musical box industry was predominantly centered in Switzerland. Geneva remains the cradle of the musical box, even though the art of crafting these musical wonders spread to other regions of Switzerland - such as Jura, Auberson, and Sainte Croix - and later to other countries, including France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Some of the most notable manufacturers of musical boxes include: Mermod Frères, Paillard, Reuge, Thorens, Cuendet, Junod, Nicole Frères, Ducommun-Girod, Brémond, and L'Epee.
The musical box operated on a relatively simple principle: a cylinder with pins (cylindrical pins) would, through rotation, actuate a metal "comb" tuned to specific musical notes, both being concealed from view in one of the box's compartments. By turning the cylinder - with the help of a spring mechanism (similar to that of watches) - the pins would strike the steel "teeth" of the comb, causing them to vibrate and produce different musical notes. A musical box could have a limited number of melodies "programmed" onto the cylinder - from 4 to 12.
Over time, the cylinders were replaced with interchangeable metal discs. Based on this operating principle, large musical boxes emerged in cafés and taverns, which could be activated by inserting a coin, allowing users to select their preferred disc.
Besides the ingenious mechanism, musical boxes also stood out for the artistry of their exterior decorations, featuring materials such as precious woods, mother-of-pearl, ivory, and metal.
The decline of musical boxes began with the invention of the phonograph (1877) and the gramophone (1887). Production continued for a while, but by the early 20th century, most renowned companies had abandoned the business and started manufacturing other mechanical musical instruments.
Manufacture of items of hard materials of animal origin during the Late Bronze Age (the Noua-Sabatinovka cultural complex)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
This article presents the categories of bone and horn objects with the reasoning of their purpose and technique of manufacture. Numerous bone articles found in the settlements and burials of the Noua-Sabatinovka cultural complex indicate the high development of techniques of manufacture of bone tools. From 1956 to 2008 in the course archaeological excavations and prospecting in the territory of the Republic of Moldova there were discovered 620 bone items (awls, scrapers, polishers etc.), 28 horn items (17 made of antler and 11 of cattle horn), 3 wild boar’s tusks, and two shells of mollusks.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. Map of discoveries of bone items. Fig. 2. 1-9 - Arrow-heads (1-6 - Ghindești; 7, 8 - Odaia; 9 - Slobozia-Şireuți); 10-18 - awls (10 - Ghindești; 11 - Cobâlnea; 12 - Petrușeni; 13-18 - Odaia); 19-26 - needles (19, 24, 25 - Ghindești; 20, 21 - Slobozia-Şireuți; 22, 26 - Cobâlnea; 23 - Odaia) (1-6, 10, 19 - after Мелюкова 1957; 7, 13, 14, 18 - after Sava, Kaiser 2004; 8, 15 - after Sava, Kaiser 2006; 11, 17, 22, 26 - after Левицкий 1988; 12 - Левицкий 1985; 16, 23 - Sava, Kaiser 2007; 24, 25 - Мелюкова 1958). Fig. 3. 1-9 - Awls with incrustations (Frunze); 10-13 - chisels (10, 11 - Petrușeni; 12, 13 - Odaia) (1-9 - after Sava, Agulnicov 2003; 10, 11 - after Sava 1992; 12 - after Sava, Kaiser 2006; 13 - after Sava, Kaiser 2004). Fig. 4. 1-5 - „Skates” (1 - Costești; 2 - Slobodca-Şireuți; 3 - Odaia; 4 - Ghindești; 5 - Cobâlnea (1 - after Дергачёв 1976; 3 - after Sava, Kaiser 2006; 4 - after Мелюкова 1958). Fig. 5. 1-8 - Indented tools made of blade bones (1 - Slobozia-Şireuți; 2, 5 - Nisporeni; 3, 6 - Costești; 4 - Cotiujeni; 7 - Cobâlnea; 8 - Petrușeni (7 - after Левицкий 1988; 8 - after Левицкий 1985). Fig. 6. 1-7 - Sickles-„tupiks” (1-4, 6, 7 - Ghindești; 5 - Costești (1, 2, 7 - after Мелюкова 1958; 3, 4, 6 - after Мелюкова 1957; 5 - after Дергачёв 1976). Fig. 7. 1-9 - Scrapers-polishers (1, 4 - Petrușeni; 2 - Cobâlnea; 3, 8 - Costești; 5, 7 - Odaia; 6 - Ghindești; 9 - Odaia (1, 4 - after Левицкий 1985; 2 - after Левицкий 1988; 5 - after Sava, Kaiser 2006; 6 - after Мелюкова 1957; 7, 9 - after Sava, Kaiser 2004). Fig. 8. 1-5 - Elements of horse harness (1 - Grigoreuca; 2 - Cucoara; 3, 4 - Cobâlnea; 5 - Petrușeni); 6-9 - spindle whorls (6, 7 - Odaia; 8 - Petrușeni; 9 - Cobâlnea) (2 - after Бейлекчи 1974; 3, 4, 9 - after Левицкий 1988; 5 - after Sava 1998; 6 - after Sava, Kaiser 2004; 7 - after Sava, Kaiser 2006; 8 - after Левицкий 1985). Fig. 9. 1, 2 - Handles/tubes (1 - Petrușeni; 2 - Slobozia-Şireuți); 3-5, 9, 10 - pendants (3 - Ghindești; 4 - Petrușeni; 5 - Slobozia-Şireuți; 9 - Ghindești; 10 - Odaia); 6-8 - buttons (6 - Pererâta; 7 - Slobozia-Şireuți; 8 - Crasnoe); 11-15 - dice of lamb ankles (11 - Frunze; 12 - Mereni; 13, 14 - Odaia; 15 - Calfa) (1, 4 - after Левицкий 1985; 6 - after Яровой, Курчятов 1988; 8 - after Серова, Яровой 1987; 9 - after Мелюкова 1957; 10, 14 - after Sava, Kaiser 2006; 11 - after Sava, Agulnicov 2003; 13 - after Sava, Kaiser 2004; 15 - after Чеботаренко 1963). Fig. 10. 1, 2 - Bull horns (1 - Mereni; 2 - Petrușeni); 3-6 - antlers (3 - Costești; 4-6 - Cobâlnea). (2 - after Левицкий 1985; 4-6 - after Левицкий 1988).
Vasile Diaconu, Mariana Sîrbu
Uncommon practice of re-use of Bronze Age stone axes
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XII [XXVII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Mariana Sîrbu, Veaceslav Bicbaev
A pit of the Late Bronze Age discovered near the lake of Valea Morilor in Chișinău
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Mariana Sîrbu
The clay objects found in the settlements of the Noua-Sabatinovka type in the Carpathian-Dniester area
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Mariana Sîrbu
The hoard of the late Bronze Age from the village of Antonești (the Cantemir District, Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Mariana Sîrbu, Denis Topal, Eugen Sava, Lazar Dermenji
Bronze items discovered on the settlements of the Noua-Sabatinovka cultures from the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIV [XXIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2020
The music is recorded on a cylinder with pins. The interior is divided into three compartments: the first contains the crank and the mechanism that operates the cylinder with pins, the second - the cylinder with pins and vibrating lamellae, and the third - two levers for starting and stopping the melody...
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.
31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
