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.
The pottery kilns at the Maeothian settlements of the Kuban river and the Don river regions
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
In 2005-09, three pottery kilns were unearthed at the Maeothian settlements of the first centuries AD in the Kuban River region. Together with 20 kilns excavated in the 1970s they formed a typologically compact group of pottery kilns in the region. All kilns are two-storey structures and differ only in size and design of the heating chambers. The diameters of kilns range from 0,9 to 2,6 m, with ca. 2,0 m on average. The roof of the heating chamber was supported by the partitions long-trapezoidal in shape. The openings for fire are mainly facing the east or northeast, for the western and southwest winds in summer did not cool the kilns. It allows us to suggest the seasonal use of these kilns, mainly for the summer.
The kilns dated to the 2nd-1st centuries BC at the Elizavetinsky settlement located in the same region had served as prototypes for the kilns in study. The kilns of the similar design are known neither from the Greek or Roman pottery workshops, nor was it in use by the craftsmen of Central Asia. Some features makes parallel the Maeotian kilns of the Kuban region with kilns found in the Northwest Black Sea and Transcarpathian regions, the areas connected to the Celtic traditions. These traditions could be adopted by the Meothian craftsmen from the Celts lived in Asia Minor.
The potters of the Kuban region, re-settled by the nomads to the Lower Don area in the 1st century AD had reproduced there their customary type of the pottery kilns. It explains the complete identity in the construction of kilns in both regions.
The medieval pottery kilns in the Northeast Caucasian region did not continue the tradition. These were more primitive in design and easier to make.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. The pottery kiln at the necropolis of the Sporny 1 settlement: plans and cross-sections of different levels. Fig. 2. Pottery kilns of the Kazansky 1 settlement: 1 - the 2005 field season; 2 - the 2009 field season. Fig. 3. Pottery kilns of the Starokorsunsky 2 settlement: 1 - kilns Nrs. 7-9, the plan and cross-section; 2 - kilns Nrs. 1-6, the plan and cross-section. Fig. 4. Pottery kilns of the Starokorsunsky 2 settlement: 1 - the kiln nr. 10, the plan and cross-section; 2 - the kiln Nr. 11, the plan and cross-section; 3 - the kiln nr. 12, the plan and cross-section; 4 - the kiln nr. 14, the plan and cross-section. Fig. 5. Pottery kilns of the Starokorsunsky 2 settlement: 1 - the kiln nr. 13, the plan and cross-section; 2 - the kiln nr. 15, the plan and cross-section; 3 - the kiln nr. 20, the plan and cross-section. Fig. 6. Pottery kilns of the Starokorsunsky 2 settlement: 1 - the kiln nr. 18, the plan and cross-section; 2 - the kiln nr. 16, the plan and cross-section; 3 - the kiln nr. 19, the plan and cross-section; 4 - the kiln nr. 17, the plan and cross-section. Fig. 7. Pottery kilns of the Maeotian settlements in the Lower Don region: 1 - the Kobyakovsky settlement, the kiln unearthed in 1961, the plan and cross-section; 2 - the Kobyakovsky settlement, the kiln unearthed in 1955; 3 - the Podazovsky settlement, the kiln unearthed in 1959. Fig. 8. The kiln unearthed in 2009, pahsa slabs from the Kazansky 1 settlement. Plate 1. The main features of pottery kilns from the Kuban and the Lower Don regions, the first centuries AD.
Борис Раев, Максим Белов, Анна Жадаева
A grave of a Cuman noble woman in the Kislyakovsky 13 kurgan cemetery (Krasnodar kray)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XI [XXVI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Борис Раев, Юрий Рассамакин
Елене Избицер - 60
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
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.