#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. 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

International Collaboration

2016

From March 2 to April 10, 2016 the National Museum of History of Moldova organized an event celebrating an emblematic personality of the Czech Republic - Václav Havel. The temporary exhibition „Portrait of Václav Havel" was brought to Chișinău by the Czech Center from Bucharest.

Through the German Cultural Center AKZENTE from Chișinău, the German composer Adrian Oswalt gave a public conference on „History of hurdy-gurdy" and a performance of mechanic music at the „Museum Night", May 16, 2016.

Based on the collaboration agreement with Herend Porcelánmanufaktúra Zrt. From Hungary, the MNIM hosted from May 13 to July 12, 2016 an exceptional exhibition of Hungarian porcelain entitled "Herend Glow". On the occasion of the exhibition opening, the museum was visited by dr. Attila Simon, General Director of Herend Porcelain Manufacture.

Five curators from the MNIM participated in the "Days of museographers - memory, consciousness, history", which was held in Bucharest, Romania, on June 6-10, 2016. The project was developed by the Institute "Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi" for Romanians de Pretutindeni, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova. The study visit included workshops and lectures by experts from various museums in the Bucharest, meetings with academics and visits to museums.

MNIM has participated at the organization of the exhibition "Romania in the Great War" which was opened at the National Museum of History of Romania on September 15, 2016. In this order, 25 documents and photos about the situation of Bessarabia during World War I were included in the exhibition and catalog.

From September 21 to 24, 2016 was held the 26th Numismatic Symposium, organized in collaboration with the Institute of Archaeology "Vasile Pârvan" from Bucharest. The event brought together researchers numismatists and collectors from Moldova, Romania, France, Japan, Ukraine, Belarus, Slovakia and Poland.

Based on the cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova and the Ministry of National Heritage of Poland, the restorer of the National History Museum of Moldova, Daniela Ferroni, conducted a study visit in Poland in the period of October 10 to 15, 2016. The theme of the documentation visit was "Conservation-restoration of movable heritage, historical monuments and cultural heritage digitization."

Between October 3 to 12, 2016 was implemented the second stage of the Moldovan-German project (National Museum of History of Moldova, Chișinău - Frei Universität, Berlin) which started with verification and research of Sabatinovka culture settlements identified in the valleys of Ialpug river and tributaries.

Based on the cooperation agreement, the Polish Centre in Bucharest organized at the MNIM a temporary exhibition with the theme "War in Polish poster. Krzysztof Dydo Collection". The exhibition is on display from November 3 to 30, 2016.

#Exhibit of the Month

MEISSEN Tea Set

2016

#Exhibit of the Month