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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. III [XVIII], nr. 2


Voivode/prince between Ideal and Real. Chroniclers’ representations about Tara Moldova (the middle of 17th - the middle of 18th Centuries
ISSN 1857-0240
E-ISSN 2537-6330

Voivode/prince between Ideal and Real. Chroniclers’ representations about Tara Moldova (the middle of 17th - the middle of 18th Centuries

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. III [XVIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie

The period between the middle of 17th and the middle of 18th Centuries finds Tara Moldova at the moment when the humanist elite begins to show a nation consciousness, which is a reflex of a non medieval conception. One of the problems to be solved by that time was the one of an ideal Voivode for Tara Moldova, who would create a society of wellbeing through an uncommonly perfect system. The problem was already widely discussed throughout Europe, where problems of political tyranny, relations between princes and subjects, high morality of princes were debated upon and were consequently reflected on Tara Moldova.

The image of Voivodes of Tara Moldova was examined from the point of view of contemporary people of that period, chroniclers, personalities of schools and different traditions, of a high culture, which according to their place in the society created the image of an ideal Voivode and of a one in position. The nobility prescribed numerous possibilities to be in contact with releaser factors or stimulators for changes of sensibilities or mentalities. Lecture, relations with intellectuals and foreign diplomats, trips abroad made changes in the way of feeling and thinking of nobility. The seeking of an ideal in human personality is a characteristic of baroque as life style, being an aspect which expresses the appearance of a new sensibility that intervenes in the humanity model/example. Starting with reality, cultivated men drew up an image of an ideal man, in our case of an ideal prince, whose goal was to show how it should or shouldn’t be, since it’s put into circulation this ideal image starts to influence the collective conception.

It needs to be taken into consideration the fact that Tara Moldova in the middle of 17th - the middle of 18th centuries kept on with the byzantine political tradition. According to the given conception, we’ve already noticed in the chronicles of Grigore Ureche the aspect of an ideal prince/voivode from the point of view of relations with subjects and morality as well as the prosperity of the country with some humanist influences. We will refer to the contemporary men of those times, beginning with Miron Costin, Nicolae Costin, Alexandru Amiras, Nicolae Muste which continue the tradition of the characteristic of an ideal prince image. We will not mention the views of each chronicler as a mental impression of nobility but we will try to take out from the available sources some elements of the upper class mental which reported to the conditions of the material living present themselves as significances for mental representations of the Romanian collective.

The final conclusion is: in the period between the middle of 17th - the middle of 18th century although the byzantine political legacy is maintained, the chroniclers and other contemporary men of that time have been seeking a prince who would contribute to the prosperity and the stability of the country. Noticing some tyrannical, active and inactive reigns, they tried in different ways the framing into the lit up spiritual configuration of Europe:
– A specific feature of prince image was his sacralisation, not specifically in person but in the position as a bearer of supreme power of the country, the fact that still wasn’t an obstacle for the nobility to plot against princes;
– The prince’s power had some limits which the chroniclers as officials of the nobility group attempted to limit by indicating some rules and manners of behaviour, obligations and responsibilities towards the society in general, and towards some social strata in particular.

Alina Felea
La population de la ville Soroca (XVI-XIX siècles)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. I [XVI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie Chișinău, 2007
Alina Felea
From family history in the Romanian space: Alcoholism and family relations in the 18th century in Moldavia and in the first decades of the 19th century in Bessarabia
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Alina Felea
Some data about the descendants of Manuc Bey (19th century - beginning of 20th century)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Alina Felea
Some dates of family Imbault
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. II [XVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Alina Felea
From the history of a family in Bessarabia of the early 19th century: the husband's inability to perform the conjugal duty
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie



 

 

Independent Moldova
Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic
Bessarabia and MASSR between the Two World Wars
Bessarabia and Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the Period between the Two World Wars
Revival of National Movement
Time of Reforms and their Consequences
Abolition of Autonomy. Bessarabia – a New Tsarist Colony
Period of Relative Autonomy of Bessarabia within the Russian Empire
Phanariot Regime
Golden Age of the Romanian Culture
Struggle for Maintaining of Independence of Moldova
Formation of Independent Medieval State of Moldova
Era of the
Great Nomad Migrations
Early Middle Ages
Iron Age and Antiquity
Bronze Age
Aeneolithic Age
Neolithic Age
Palaeolithic Age
  
  

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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

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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