#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.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

"War Up Close"

August 21 – November 20, 2024

The National Museum of History of Moldova is pleased to announce the opening of the virtual reality exhibition "War Up Close" on August 21, 2024, at 4:00 PM. This exhibition is organized in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Moldova Office.

"War Up Close" is a virtual reality exhibition aimed at showcasing the scale of the disaster caused by Russia's unjustified war on Ukraine. Through 360-degree panoramic photographs, drone images, and 3D modeling, the exhibition makes the nature of this war tangible, highlighting the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the suffering of millions of Ukrainians.

The exhibition immerses visitors in pre- and post-war images, offering a raw, unfiltered view of the human cost of Russia's aggression in Ukraine. It also provides visitors with the opportunity to "walk through" and virtually explore areas, viewing 360-degree images from fixed locations via viewing devices.

The project was initiated by experts from Ukraine's Discover.ua and FreegenGroup, who, despite the dangers, mapped the crimes against Ukraine for future generations to preserve the memory of this tragedy using experienced photojournalists and state-of-the-art technology.

Mykola Omelchenko, Ukraine's first Google Trusted Photographer, began photographing for "War Up Close" during a period when the Russian government denied responsibility for military strikes on non-military targets, such as residential areas and cultural centers, claiming instead that the Ukrainian government was falsifying or altering images of the destruction. Omelchenko wanted people to explore the images themselves, so they are presented without captions or commentary. "The essential goal of the project is to show the reality of war in a way that it can no longer be denied," stated Omelchenko.

The "War Up Close" project team works closely with Ukraine's Emergency Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Culture, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The panoramic views and drone images assist rescue teams in removing debris and assessing the true impact of the destruction. The team also specializes in 3D modeling of historical monuments and buildings.

The exhibition also includes a selection of war-time artifacts and links to 360-degree images that can be viewed without virtual reality equipment.

Since its launch in 2022, "War Up Close" has been presented in locations worldwide, including Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, and North America, attracting a significant number of visitors. For more information, visit https://war.city.

The exhibition "War Up Close" will be open from August 21 to November 20, 2024, in Hall No. 2 of the National Museum of History of Moldova, Chișinău, 31 August 1989 Street, 121A.

#Exhibit of the Month

Buckles Decorated in the Polychrome Enamel Technique

"War Up Close"

August 21 – November 20, 2024

#Exhibit of the Month