#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

Publications

Library „Tyragetia"

Ana Boldureanu

Ottoman Coins in Moldova from 1512 to 1603

Series Biblioteca “Tyragetia” XXIV, Chișinău, 2013. 191 p. ISBN 978-9975-80-773-9.

The monograph is dedicated to the peculiarities of penetration and circulation of Ottoman coins in historical Moldova during 1512-1603. The study covers the period of strengthening the country's dependence on the Ottoman Porte (1512) and the establishment of Ottoman suzerainty (1538) and lasted until the early years of the 17^th century when after massive devaluation of Ottoman akches the quantity of Ottoman coins in the market of Romanian principalities has significantly reduced.

The source basis of the work includes the Ottoman coins of 1512-1603 discovered in the area of medieval Moldavia as well as those from regions, which were under direct Ottoman jurisdiction, like Akkerman or Bender. There is used Ottoman numismatic material found by researchers until 2007, including a number of older findings reviewed in the light of modern science and personal research on some unpublished hoards and isolated finds. Most of the materials analyzed and included in the study are from collections of the Chisinau museums: the National Museum of History of Moldova, the Museum of Archaeology of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova and the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History. There were also included Ottoman hoards and coins from Romanian collections, which have been explored by the author due to the kindness and goodwill of heads of institutions and curators. There were used original materials from the collection of the Numismatic Cabinet of the „Vasile Parvan" Institute of Archaeology, was revised the structure of the Arsura hoard (Vaslui County) owned by the National Museum of History of Romania in Bucharest, were identified some objects from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova in Iasi, Barlad and from the Museum of Vaslui County.

The work is divided into six chapters, some of which are divided into subchapters. Issues of coins are presented in a classical order: the gold coins, than the silver ones and, finally, made of a simple metal.

Chapter I contains the history of research; there are highlighted the main stages and studies dedicated to Ottoman coins that circulated in medieval Moldavia. Chapter II presents the development of the Ottoman monetary system from early mangirs emitted during the rule of the founder of the Ottoman Empire - Osman to the early 16^th century. Chapter III examines gold coins (altyns); there are presented typology and chronology of these issues as well as the analysis of stages of penetration and circulation of altyns in historical Moldova and the list of findings. The next chapter describes Ottoman silver coins (akches and dirhams). There are given types of akches and their chronology, already known or proposed by the author, presented separately for each sultan: Selim I, Süleyman I, Selim II, Murad III and Mehmed III. There were highlighted several distinct stages of penetration of akches into Moldavia based on political and military events in the region. The list of silver issues includes isolated akches and dirhams as well as hoards of these coins. Chapter V presents Ottoman copper coins and silver counterfeits and imitations. The study showed the existence of local production of fakes and imitations of Ottoman akches. There is presented the catalogue of such findings in Moldova.

The last chapter includes an analysis of the role of the Ottoman coins in Moldavian economy in the 16^th century.