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.
The museum institution in the process of globalization
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. III [XVIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
The beginning of the millennium marked the dissolution of communication borders generated by the transition from a tightly governed political system to the democratization process, from planned economy to the market one, from the rapid development of technologies to the globalization phenomenon. The postindustrial economy had stimulated the mobilization of the intellectual capital and its use in production and service spheres.
It is in the period of impetuous transformations that appears the nostalgia of stability, originality and individuality. The identity of the person, of the community of origin, ethnicity and nationality had always been one of the essential points of each cultural dialog at local, national or universal scale.
In the context of changing social-political and cultural processes, the issue of keeping and affirming identity becomes an essential one; a fortiori it represents the only efficient way of combating the negative and obscured effects of globalization.
The globalization process had imposed the contemporary society with a cultural globalization by redefining the purpose of the museum institution which’s activity is determined by new factors: - the market holds the arbiter role, appreciating and determining the essence of values - the entertainment industry holds a considerable niche in the cultural sphere - reduction of the state role and the emergence of untraditional political formations - disappearance of intellectual borders - appearance and development of multicultural communities - as a result of developing new technologies appear new visions about notions of place, time, space etc.
Another aspect of the cultural globalization is the decentralization of big museums and the rapid museification of society. We are today the witnesses of a big museum revolution; we will be able to appreciate in time whether it is a positive or a negative factor. One of the immediate changes is building new systems of museums, or of a new system of museums. In other words, building a territorial network not only diversified spatially and territorially, but also on profiles, levels and functions in which the different unities complete and correlate among themselves, keeping the same educational and heritage preservation objectives.
Lucia Marinescu-Tonu
Techniques for interpreting cultural heritage in the provinces of Trento and Ferrara
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIV [XXIX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Lucia Marinescu-Tonu
Pedagogy of Cultural Heritage: between illusion and reality
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Lucia Marinescu
In memoriam Mihai Onilă
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIII [XXVIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Lucia Marinescu-Tonu
Creations of the House of Fabergé – between utility and refinement
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVIII [XXXIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Lucia Marinescu-Tonu
The interpretive dimension of museum exhibitions
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XV [XXX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
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...
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
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.
31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
