#Exhibit of the Month

Buckles (paftale) are an almost indispensable element of traditional women's dress in the Southeastern European area, particularly in the Balkans, and have been in use over a long period, from the 14th to the 20th century.
The word pafta is of Turkic origin-possibly entering the language via Iranian influence-derived from the Persian word bafta, meaning "woven," which evolved in Turkish to signify "plate." Today, the term is used in nearly identical forms in Romanian (pafta), Bulgarian (пафта), Serbian (пафте), and some Aromanian dialects (pafta), designating functional and ornamental clothing accessories used to fasten belts, girdles, or sashes, crafted from various materials and decorated using different techniques.
The three buckles decorated in the polychrome enamel technique, preserved in the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova, belong to the South-Danubian tradition and are dated to the late 19th - early 20th century.

Each buckle consists of two identical trapezoidal parts, their surfaces divided into three roughly equal registers, adorned with stylized vegetal motifs forming a metal lattice into which enamel is poured. The two parts extend into sharp angles at the ends, forming a triangle with the edge of the last decorative register, similarly ornamented. The enamel used to fill the floral motifs is black, turquoise, white, orange, green, yellow, and burgundy. The entire decorative field is framed by a beaded border.

On the reverse, both components retain a copper band riveted along the edge, used to fasten the ends of the belt. The fastening system, made by interlocking the hinges of the two parts and secured with a movable pin attached by a chain to a clasp fixed on one of the buckle pieces, is concealed by a rectangular plate (riveted with three pins to the body of the piece), with narrow edges ending in sharp angles, decorated in the same style and technique. Additionally, it features three circular settings with notched edges bent inward to hold centrally placed red and green glass paste. These settings are framed by a radiant, notched band.

The symbolism of the color palette encodes meanings and symbols, chosen for their believed magical powers. Red has always represented love, affection, and protection against curses and the evil eye; white symbolizes purity and spiritual and physical cleanliness; blue is symbolically associated with infinity, morning, new beginnings, and transformation; green represents destiny, hope, prosperity, balance, and rebirth, being linked to nature's revival each spring and to life itself.

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Exhibitions

“Politicians”

Caricature Exhibition by Journalist and Caricaturist Anatol Fornea

August 29 - September 25, 2024

The National Museum of History of Moldova announces the opening of the caricature exhibition "Politicians" by Anatol Fornea, which will take place on August 29, 2024, at 4:00 PM. The exhibition will be open to the public from August 29 to September 25, 2024, and will be hosted in the lobby on the ground floor of the museum.

On the occasion of Moldova's Independence Day, Anatol Fornea presents the caricature exhibition "Politicians," focusing on emblematic political figures from Moldova. The exhibition highlights both praise and critique of those who have influenced the national political scene. A distinctive feature of this exhibition is the absence of direct identification of the politicians, allowing visitors to make associations through details such as the color of the ties, which correspond to the represented political parties.

Anatol Fornea, a caricaturist, journalist, and TV presenter from Moldova, was born on July 19, 1998, in Chișinău. He graduated from the School of Fine Arts for Children "Alexei Șciusev" and the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences at Moldova State University (USM), where he later earned a master's degree in Communication Sciences. Fornea is also known as the host of the interview show "Dialoguri Colorate" broadcasted on TVR Moldova, where he creates portraits of guests at the end of each discussion.

The exhibition is part of a broader project by the artist, which aims to create caricature portraits of personalities from various fields of activity in Moldova.

The "Politicians" caricature exhibition can be visited from August 29 to September 25, 2024, at the National Museum of History of Moldova, Chișinău, 31 August 1989 Street 121A.