#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.

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Events Archive

Opening of the exhibition "Icons painted on ammo boxes"

February 22, 2024

On February 22, in Hall 1 of the National Museum of History of Moldova, the opening of the exhibition "Icons painted on ammo boxes" took place.

With speeches participated The Minister of Culture, Mr. Sergiu Prodan, Tomasz Kobzdej, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Republic of Moldova, Marko Shevchenko, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Moldova, Tadas Valionis, the Ambassador of Lithuania to the Republic of Moldova, Mrs. Olesia Shevchenko, the wife of the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Moldova and last but not least, the authors of the paintings Oleksandr Klymenko and Sonia Atlanova.

The collection presented in Chisinau contains 25 unique icons by Ukrainian artists Olexander Klymenko and Sonia Atlantova, including newer works painted on ammunition boxes used during Russia's current invasion of Ukraine.

The project combines two aspects, at first sight impossible to approach unitarily: the icon and the ammunition box, death and life. "Through our works we want to transform death, the symbol of which is the ammunition box, into life, traditionally symbolized in the Ukrainian icon culture," says Klymenko. In 2014, in response to Russia's first military aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian artists began painting icons on ammunition boxes. This very original and expressive approach had a very strong impact on the public from the very beginning.

The icons presented in the Chisinau exhibition have traveled around the world, so far being exhibited in 19 countries and in over 150 places, including the European Parliament.

The exhibition "Icons painted on ammo boxes" is organized by the Polish Institute in Bucharest and the National Museum of History of Moldova, in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Chisinau and with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Moldova.

The exhibition can be visited until March 10, 2024, at the National Museum of History of Moldova, Chisinau, 31 August 1989 street, 121A.