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#Exhibit of the Month

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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. 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.


Virtual Tour


Publications Journal „Tyragetia"   vol. V [XX], nr. 1


Manufacture of items of hard materials of animal origin during the Late Bronze Age (the Noua-Sabatinovka cultural complex)
ISSN 1857-0240
E-ISSN 2537-6330

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).

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
Eugen Sava, Mariana Sîrbu
The „ashpit” settlements in the basin of Răut (Catalog)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. III [XVIII], 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
Complementing the data on the collection of stone artifacts found at the first studied settlement of the Noua culture on the territory of the Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVI [XXXI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2022
Mariana Sîrbu, Sergiu Popovici, Vlad Vornic
The hoard of bronze artifacts discovered near village Haragîş (Cantemir district)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIII [XXVIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică



 

 

Independent Moldova
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Bessarabia and Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the Period between the Two World Wars
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Time of Reforms and their Consequences
Abolition of Autonomy. Bessarabia – a New Tsarist Colony
Period of Relative Autonomy of Bessarabia within the Russian Empire
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Golden Age of the Romanian Culture
Struggle for Maintaining of Independence of Moldova
Formation of Independent Medieval State of Moldova
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#Exhibit of the Month

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...

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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.
©2006-2025 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC

 



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.
©2006-2025 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC

menu
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.
©2006-2025 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC