#Exhibit of the Month

The artifact is a battle axe made from magmatic rock (diabase) of gray-brown color. It was accidentally discovered in 1966 within the territory of Aluniș village, Rîșcani district. Based on its morphological characteristics, the artifact can be attributed to the Catacomb culture (29th-22nd centuries BCE).

The axe features a massive, elongated naviform body with slightly pronounced shoulders, a short and narrow edge that is flat and circular in cross-section. The blade is slightly curved. The hole was drilled in the maximum width of the object. It is circular in shape with a diameter of 2.2 cm. The surface of the artifact is meticulously polished, worked with great care, and shows no signs of damage or chipping.

Dimensions: Length: 20.0 cm; Maximum width: 8.4 cm; Edge diameter: 5.0 cm; Blade width: 7.0 cm; Weight: 2.3 kg.

Stone battle axes are characteristic of the Catacomb culture communities and are most often found as grave goods, deposited in tombs. Their presence in funerary complexes suggests a multifaceted functionality: weapons, social symbols, and ritual objects. Initially used as weapons, the axes became social symbols for their owners, later acquiring votive significance when deposited in tombs to serve the deceased in the afterlife.

The social symbolic function of stone battle axes is indicated by the high-quality rocks used for their manufacture and the exceptionally meticulous craftsmanship. The large dimensions of the axe from Aluniș support this hypothesis and distinguish it from other examples.

The discovery of stone battle axes outside a funerary complex may indicate their votive deposition. It is difficult to imagine that these exceptionally well-crafted pieces, made from high-quality rocks transported over great distances, could have been abandoned or lost accidentally. It is far more likely that they were deposited for magical-religious purposes, a possibility that may also apply to the stone axe discovered at Aluniș.

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Events Archive

The opening of the photographic exhibition "Picasso.Intimo."

September 11, 2023

On September 11, the National Museum of History of Moldova had the honor of hosting a special event, the opening of the photographic exhibition "Picasso.Intimo.", which celebrates the legendary Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and his impressive work.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in the Republic of Moldova, based in Bucharest, in collaboration with the National Museum of History of Moldova, organized this exhibition to highlight the artist's vision and contribution. With Picasso's words in mind, "a painting lives only through the one who seeks it", the exhibition invites visitors to make their own connections with the work and personality of Pablo Picasso.

During the opening event of the exhibition, the General Director of MNIM, Mr. Eugen Sava highlighted the importance of Pablo Picasso's personality for contemporary culture and history and, H.E. Jose Antonio Hernan Perez-Solozano, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain in the Republic of Moldova, based in Bucharest, pointed out the uniqueness of the photographs and exposed the fact that the talent of Roberto Otereo, the public in the Republic of Moldova can better familiarize themselves with the universe of Pablo Picasso.

Roberto Otero (1931-2004), Argentine photographer, journalist and writer, had the privilege of immortalizing Picasso in the privacy of his home at Notre-Dame-de-Vie in Mougins. His photographs, featured in this exhibition, offer an intimate glimpse into the maturity of the artist and the complicity between the photographer and his subject. This unique exhibition, which includes selections from the Otero Collection of the Picasso Museum in Malaga, offers a rare opportunity to discover the lesser-known side of Picasso.

The photographic exhibition "Picasso. Intimo." will be open to the public until October 12, 2023, in the hall on the ground floor of the National Museum of History of Moldova, Chisinau, 31 August 1989 street, no. 121A. We invite everyone interested to come and explore the fascinating world of Picasso through the lens of Roberto Otero.