#Exhibit of the Month

German porcelain is highly prized among antique collectors for its exceptional material quality, originality, and the meticulous craftsmanship of its decorative design.
The museum's collection preserves five figurines from one of the oldest porcelain manufactories in the Thuringia region of Germany - the statuary group known as *"The Musicians"*, crafted at the Volkstedt manufactory. These pieces entered the museum's holdings in 1991, acquired from a resident of Chișinău. With undeniable historical and artistic value, they bear the distinct imprint of the Rococo style.
The Volkstedt manufactory has a long-standing tradition in producing figurines, including those depicting musicians. In 1760, Georg Heinrich Macheleid - inventor of hard-paste porcelain in Thuringia - founded a production workshop in Zitzendorf, which was relocated to Volkstedt in 1762. Macheleid led the manufactory until 1764. Over time, the factory changed ownership and management multiple times. Under the direction of Christian Nonne, it flourished between 1767 and 1797, a period marked by significant artistic development. Volkstedt began creating figurines that would later gain international recognition.
It was during this flourishing period that the museum's porcelain statuettes, titled *"The Musicians"*, were produced. They depict five “putti”: four playing musical instruments (flute, mandolin, horn, and pipe), while the fifth conducts. Each figurine is entirely handcrafted - from modeling to painting - and delicately adorned with pastel tones and gilded details, capturing the playful movement and refined artistry of each musician. The base is made of mass-colored porcelain in a rare grey-green hue. The contrast between green, white, and gold accents lends the ensemble an unusually delicate appearance. These ornamental features are characteristic of the Rococo style, which emerged in France and is closely associated with the reign of King Louis XV.

The mark applied to the figurines consists of two crossed forks, clearly rendered in underglaze blue, with slightly blurred paint - a detail that helps date their production. Because the crossed forks often resembled the crossed swords of the Meissen trademark, the Volkstedt manufactory was compelled to change its mark starting in 1787. Initially represented by a single fork, the mark briefly returned to two forks before being replaced in 1800 by the graphic symbol "R", referencing the town of Rudolstadt. Therefore, the brief period during which the two-fork mark was reinstated - and during which the museum's figurines were likely produced - is estimated to be between 1787 and 1800.

The statuettes range in height from 10 to 18 cm and are preserved in relatively good condition.

These late 18th-century German porcelain pieces, now on display, are exceptionally rare. They stand as true works of art by German craftsmen and serve as important historical testimonies to the evolution of porcelain manufacturing in Germany.

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Publications

Library „Tyragetia"

Ana Boldureanu

Ottoman Coins in Moldova from 1512 to 1603

Series Biblioteca “Tyragetia” XXIV, Chișinău, 2013. 191 p. ISBN 978-9975-80-773-9.

The monograph is dedicated to the peculiarities of penetration and circulation of Ottoman coins in historical Moldova during 1512-1603. The study covers the period of strengthening the country's dependence on the Ottoman Porte (1512) and the establishment of Ottoman suzerainty (1538) and lasted until the early years of the 17^th century when after massive devaluation of Ottoman akches the quantity of Ottoman coins in the market of Romanian principalities has significantly reduced.

The source basis of the work includes the Ottoman coins of 1512-1603 discovered in the area of medieval Moldavia as well as those from regions, which were under direct Ottoman jurisdiction, like Akkerman or Bender. There is used Ottoman numismatic material found by researchers until 2007, including a number of older findings reviewed in the light of modern science and personal research on some unpublished hoards and isolated finds. Most of the materials analyzed and included in the study are from collections of the Chisinau museums: the National Museum of History of Moldova, the Museum of Archaeology of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova and the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History. There were also included Ottoman hoards and coins from Romanian collections, which have been explored by the author due to the kindness and goodwill of heads of institutions and curators. There were used original materials from the collection of the Numismatic Cabinet of the „Vasile Parvan" Institute of Archaeology, was revised the structure of the Arsura hoard (Vaslui County) owned by the National Museum of History of Romania in Bucharest, were identified some objects from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova in Iasi, Barlad and from the Museum of Vaslui County.

The work is divided into six chapters, some of which are divided into subchapters. Issues of coins are presented in a classical order: the gold coins, than the silver ones and, finally, made of a simple metal.

Chapter I contains the history of research; there are highlighted the main stages and studies dedicated to Ottoman coins that circulated in medieval Moldavia. Chapter II presents the development of the Ottoman monetary system from early mangirs emitted during the rule of the founder of the Ottoman Empire - Osman to the early 16^th century. Chapter III examines gold coins (altyns); there are presented typology and chronology of these issues as well as the analysis of stages of penetration and circulation of altyns in historical Moldova and the list of findings. The next chapter describes Ottoman silver coins (akches and dirhams). There are given types of akches and their chronology, already known or proposed by the author, presented separately for each sultan: Selim I, Süleyman I, Selim II, Murad III and Mehmed III. There were highlighted several distinct stages of penetration of akches into Moldavia based on political and military events in the region. The list of silver issues includes isolated akches and dirhams as well as hoards of these coins. Chapter V presents Ottoman copper coins and silver counterfeits and imitations. The study showed the existence of local production of fakes and imitations of Ottoman akches. There is presented the catalogue of such findings in Moldova.

The last chapter includes an analysis of the role of the Ottoman coins in Moldavian economy in the 16^th century.