#Exhibit of the Month

The artifact is a battle axe made from magmatic rock (diabase) of gray-brown color. It was accidentally discovered in 1966 within the territory of Aluniș village, Rîșcani district. Based on its morphological characteristics, the artifact can be attributed to the Catacomb culture (29th-22nd centuries BCE).

The axe features a massive, elongated naviform body with slightly pronounced shoulders, a short and narrow edge that is flat and circular in cross-section. The blade is slightly curved. The hole was drilled in the maximum width of the object. It is circular in shape with a diameter of 2.2 cm. The surface of the artifact is meticulously polished, worked with great care, and shows no signs of damage or chipping.

Dimensions: Length: 20.0 cm; Maximum width: 8.4 cm; Edge diameter: 5.0 cm; Blade width: 7.0 cm; Weight: 2.3 kg.

Stone battle axes are characteristic of the Catacomb culture communities and are most often found as grave goods, deposited in tombs. Their presence in funerary complexes suggests a multifaceted functionality: weapons, social symbols, and ritual objects. Initially used as weapons, the axes became social symbols for their owners, later acquiring votive significance when deposited in tombs to serve the deceased in the afterlife.

The social symbolic function of stone battle axes is indicated by the high-quality rocks used for their manufacture and the exceptionally meticulous craftsmanship. The large dimensions of the axe from Aluniș support this hypothesis and distinguish it from other examples.

The discovery of stone battle axes outside a funerary complex may indicate their votive deposition. It is difficult to imagine that these exceptionally well-crafted pieces, made from high-quality rocks transported over great distances, could have been abandoned or lost accidentally. It is far more likely that they were deposited for magical-religious purposes, a possibility that may also apply to the stone axe discovered at Aluniș.

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Exhibitions

“Fryderyk Chopin: Life and Works”

February 24 – March 30, 2021

Fryderyk Chopin, born March 1, 1810 (or February 22, 1810), is considered one of the greatest pianists and composers of the Romantic era. A characteristic element of Chopin's works is the deep expressiveness and inspiration from the stylistic patterns of Polish folk music. His talent was revealed when he was only a few years old - the mentions of the brilliant child quickly delighted the Warsaw aristocracy.

On November 5, 1830, Chopin left Poland forever. After a long wandering, he finally went to Paris. On the way, Chopin kept a diary, in which he revealed his state of mind during his stay in Stuttgart, where he was seized with despair over the defeat of the November Uprising. It is believed that it was then that the first sketches for the "Revolutionary Étude" were created. The works of this period are full of drama, which gradually began to dominate the composer's work.

Despite living abroad, Chopin always remained in Poland with his heart and soul. He began to live the life of Polish emigrants, maintaining close relations with leading Polish intellectuals (Adam Mickiewicz, Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Ciprian Kamil Norwid).

On the verge of death, Chopin requested that, after he died, his heart be removed and sent to Warsaw. A vase with the composer's heart preserved in alcohol was smuggled to Poland in January 1850 by his older sister, Ludwika Jędrzejewiczowa. In Warsaw, she kept it in her apartment for a while, and later entrusted it to the missionary priests of the Church of the Holy Cross, which was, in fact, the parish church of the Chopin family. The commemorative plaque bears the inscription: To Fryderyk Chopin from compatriots. Above there is a quote from the Gospel of Matthew: Where your wealth is, there will your heart be.

The exhibition dedicated to the Polish composer is created by the Polish Institute in Bucharest and can be seen on the fence of the National Museum of History of Moldova between February 24 and March 30, 2021.