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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




The prehistoric and Late Antique settlements at Mereni

The prehistoric and Late Antique settlements at Mereni

Biblioteca „Tyragetia” XXXVIII, Chișinău, 2023, 205 p. ISBN 978-9975-80-903-0; 978-36241-030-8.

The village of Mereni in the former land of Lăpușna is an old Romanian locality, founded during the reign of Alexander the Good, in the first quarter of the 15th century, and has strong răzăși traditions; the locality was attested in the documents written during the time of Stephen the Great, on 25 September 1475.

According to archaeological data, the first people appeared on the territory of the village of Mereni in prehistoric times. The oldest traces of human habitation in this area are about six thousand years old.

Since the Aeneolithic period (4th millennium BC), nomadic shepherds from the steppe regions of Eurasia roamed these lands in search of pastures. Nomadic tribes erected several earthen mounds in this area, in which they left the most ancient human burials. During the same period, on the territory of the Mereni lands there was a settlement that belonged to the civilization of Cucuteni-Trypillia.

In the middle of the second millennium BC, during the Bronze Age, another settlement was founded on the lands of Mereni, attributed to the Noua-Sabatinovka cultural community.

In the early Iron Age, around the middle of the first millennium BC, the Iranian tribes of the Scythians penetrated the lands of Mereni, leaving burial complexes and various exceptional cultural remains here.

During the Late Antiquity (3rd-4th centuries), there were four prosperous settlements in this territory, attributed to the archaeological culture of the Sântana de Mureș-Chernyakhov type.

In the period of migration of peoples, in the early Middle Ages (5th-14th centuries), nomadic shepherds of Turanian origin stayed on the lands of the village, who left graves in burial mounds located on the tops of the local hills. From the same period, traces of sedentary habitation have also been sporadically noted in the Mereni region.

In the given context, this work provides a scientific development of archaeological discoveries dating back to the period of the Late Antiquity at the Mereni "Chirca" settlement. At the same time, while presenting the stratigraphy of the settlement, in order to obtain the most complete possible picture of the Mereni "Chirca" site, the archaeological finds of the Late Antiquity period are considered in connection with remains attributed to other historical eras, including archaeological materials from the Bronze Age.

Contents

INTRODUCTION

1. GEOGRAPHICAL FRAMEWORK AND HISTORY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH

1.1. Geographical framework
1.2. History of archaeological research

2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL MAP OF MERENI VILLAGE

2.1. History of archaeological research
2.2. Mapping of archaeological sites
2.3. List of archaeological sites
2.4. Coin hoards

3. ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH OF THE MERENI "CHIRCA" SITE

3.1. Characteristics of the site
3.2. Archaeological excavations
3.3. Cultural layer of the site
3.4. Main results of archaeological research

4. MERENI "CHIRCA" SETTLEMENT OF THE BRONZE AGE (16th-11th CENTURIES BC)

4.1. Dwellings
4.2. Auxiliary constructions
4.3. Trash pits
4.4. Objects
4.5. Pottery
4.6. Features of the Bronze Age settlement

5. MERENI "CHIRCA" SETTLEMENT OF THE LATE ANTIQUE PERIOD (3rd-4th CENTURIES AD)

5.1. Dwellings
5.2. Trash pits
5.3. Graves
5.4. Other structures
5.5. Objects
5.6. Pottery
5.7. Features of the ancient settlement

6. TRACES OF HABITATION ATTRIBUTED TO OTHER HISTORICAL PERIODS

6.1. Archaeological finds of the Iron Age
6.2. Archaeological finds of the Middle Ages

CONCLUSION

Bibliography
Statistic tables
Abstract
List of statistical tables, figures, plates and photos
Annexes
Index




 

 

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

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