#Exhibit of the Month

In the dazzling world of precious stones and noble metals, certain jewelers stand out, mastering the art of harmonizing understated elegance with absolute refinement, genius with design, and sophistication with eternal, unforgettable splendor.
The name Fabergé, emblematic of originality and synonymous with the creations of a legendary house, has left an indelible mark on the history of jewelry and decorative arts. Renowned for uniting jewelry, artistic design, and utility into objets de luxe and objets de fantaisie, Fabergé's creations have always captivated with their exquisite craftsmanship. Fashioned from gold, silver, enamel, and precious stones, the pieces produced in Fabergé's workshops testify to exceptional virtuosity, marked by meticulous attention to detail and perfect material harmony. Even works inspired by earlier stylistic vocabularies bear the unmistakable mark of originality.

The National Museum of History of Moldova treasures a spectacular ladle, crafted in Fabergé's workshops in the late 19th century.
The Fabergé ladle is a curious blend of the "Russian style" and the "modern style." Made of solid silver, it features a circular, gold-plated bowl. Its raised, stylized handle (hook-shaped) is adorned with vegetal motifs, triple rings, and silver pearls. The rim is embellished with a wide band composed of rectangular medallions, decorated with spiral loops and stylized scales arranged alternately. The bowl is supported by four hemispherical feet. At the center, engraved inscriptions read: Eugenie von Platonow/St. Petersburg and ТОРГОВЫЙ ДОМЪ „АЛЕКСАНДРЪ"/1863/15/10/1913.
Research suggests that this ladle was commissioned by Alexander Trauberg, a first-guild merchant and owner of the "АЛЕКСАНДРЪ" Trading House located at Nevsky Boulevard 11, St. Petersburg. It was likely created to mark the 50th anniversary of his business in 1913.
The hallmark stamped on the base-Fabergé's K. ФАБЕРЖЕ logo surmounted by the Russian Empire's coat of arms, alongside the female profile in a kokoshnik within an oval frame, accompanied by the Greek letter Δ (delta) and the silver purity standard "88"-confirms that the piece was produced by Fabergé's Moscow branch.
The hypnotic charm of Fabergé's creations defined the aesthetic ideals of an era, embodying exuberance and refinement, crafted by a jeweler to kings and a king among jewelers.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

„One century of Riga’s history: from 1914 until 2014”

Organized by the Embassy of Latvia in the Republic of Moldova at the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

October 5th-20th, 2016

The goal of the exhibition is, alongside important events in Europe, to reflect the events of the same time period in Riga; by means of various pictures and their combinations, to touch upon the themes of war and freedom as well as the outstanding personalities of the time, with the aim of showing the various, open, and multi-faceted Riga. The exhibition is formed and reflected by juxtapositions of various tendencies; fashion, architecture, design, music and other spheres and events of culture.

Motto of the exhibition: "The Phoenix of Riga"
Riga is similar to the Phoenix in Ancient Greek mythology - the bird that after burning has always been able to resurrect from ashes. Over one century, Riga has seen seven changes of the ruling power:
- Tsarist Russia;
- the German Kaiser;
- "red" Soviet Latvia and "white" Republic of Latvia;
- USSR occupation and Nazi Third Reich;
- Soviet occupation again
- up to the restoration of an independent Republic of Latvia.

Riga saw the evacuation of its factories in 1915, which diminished its population by a half; it saw the attacks of the Bermondt army, which left the quay of the river Daugava in ruins. The agrarian reform in the 1920s gave the city land property and made it possible to dream about the construction of an enlarged city with one million inhabitants. The devastation of Old Riga in 1941 was followed by restoration after the war, the city expanded into the former pastures and kitchen gardens, building new residential areas. The present-day Riga is proud of its cultural heritage.

The exhibition shows the impact of a series of events, which have taken place in Europe of the 20th century, over the history of Latvians, the impact that has resulted in the loss of independence of the Republic of Latvia. The major events - the wars and revolutions - are illustrated by panels with black-and-white and red fragments of historical photographs. The removal of ruins and the new construction to start everything from scratch is illustrated by the history of two nodal points - the City Hall Square and the Citadel. City scenes will be supplemented with information on everyday life: how the ordinary Rigan lived, what he ate, how he worked and recreated himself...

The pictures will show the flourishing Riga after World War I, the burning Riga in 1941, Soviet Riga, the Barricade Time and the 20 years of restored independence. We will stress Riga's ability to always resurrect as the Phoenix from ashes.