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 protests and the revindications of the Bessarabian people in the first decades after the annexation of the territories between the Prut and Dniester rivers to Russia (years 1812-1828)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. II [XVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
In spite of the relatively large number of works concerning the peasants issue in Bessarabia after its annexation to the Russian Empire, it has been noticed that some aspects connected to the peasants’ movement(rising) have been treated one-sidedly and tendentiously in the Soviet historiography from the Republic of Moldova. The period after the democratization of the Moldovan society did not draw the attention of historians to that subject and din not manifest their interest in it either.
For carrying out an objective study of this issue, there have been analyzed 1502 claims and letters of complaint addressed by representatives of different social categories to the civil governor of Bessarabia, which have been stocked in stock nr.2 - Chancellery of the civil governor of Bessarabia from the National Archive of the Republic of Moldova. The documents have been classified into claims which reflect the following forms of protest and revindications: abuse on behalf of landlords, district police officers, landholders and concessionaires; exaggerated duties, taxes and charges; abuse on behalf of the Russian soldiers; escapes, removals inside Bessarabia and over the river Dniester; escapes of the peasants into Moldova over the Prut river; abuse from the Regional Administration and the Russian officials; restrictions of the internal and external trade; the haiduk movement or robberies etc. People’s protests and revindications have been conventionally divided into two periods: 1812-1818 and 1819-1828, relying on the administrative-territorial division of Bessarabia during this time, which allows the analysis of these acts in its districts. The analyzed documents made it possible to elaborate a series of tables which reflect, quite exhaustively, the main forms of protest and revendications of the population in these two time periods.
The analysis of these documents allows us to conclude that 1025 (68,4%) claims have been made by the representatives of different social categories between 1812 and 1818, in spite of the privileges conferred by the Russian administration to the Bessarabian people, immediately after the annexation of the territory. 523 (51%) of the complaints have been addressed to the civil governor of Bessarabia by the people of the Orhei district. Among the most important complaints made by the Bessarabian people during the first period, can be highlighted the following: claims and complaints connected to abuse on behalf of landlords, district police officers, landholders and concessionaires – 372 (36,3%); claims and complaints caused by exaggerated duties, taxes and charges – 318 (31%); claims and complaints caused by the abuse on behalf of the Russian soldiers – 133 (13%); claims and complaints caused by escapes, removals inside Bessarabia and over the river Dniester – 93 (9,1%); claims and complaints connected to escapes of the peasants into Moldova over the Prut river – 62 (6%); claims and complaints caused by the abuse from the Regional Administration and the Russian officials – 31 (3%) etc. Consequently, the analysis of the above mentioned sources allows us to question a number of assertions made by the Soviet historiography on this matter.
Valentin Tomuleț, Angela Baxan
On the question of competence of the Supreme Council of Bessarabian Oblast (August 28, 1816 - February 29, 1828)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Valentin Tomuleț, Alexandru Bordian
Priority directions in trade and customs policy of tsarism in Bessarabia in the first third of the 19th century
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Valentin Tomuleț
Maria Danilov, Cenzura sinodală și cartea religioasă în Basarabia. 1812-1918 (între tradiție și politica țaristă), Biblioteca Tyragetia XIII. – Chișinău, 2007 (Tipogr. „Bons Offi ces”), 264 p.
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. II [XVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Valentin Tomuleț, Cristina Gherasim
Some considerations on factors that generated mentality shifts of the landlords in Bessarabia under tsarist domination (1812-1817)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Валентин Томулец, Сергей Сычёв
The political parties and significant personalities of the Bessarabian Zemstvo (1869-1917)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XI [XXVI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
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.