#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

“The train of pain”

The monument that is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the deportations of the communist regime (unofficially, also called the "Train of Pain") is a memorial that holds the memory of tens of thousands of Moldovans (Bessarabians) deported in the years 1940–1953 during the communist regime.

The location of the monument in the square of the Chisinau Railway Station has a special connotation: it was from here that most of the Bessarabians were forcibly taken to Siberia and Kazakhstan. Documentary materials about the deportees and their families are included in four volumes of the Memory Book. The volumes contain data on individuals subjected to repression (name, surname of the repressed, year of birth, place of origin, year and reason for repression, place of detention (deportation), data on rehabilitation) in the municipalities and districts of the Republic of Moldova. The documentary material is structured according to the administrative-territorial division of the Republic of Moldova until 12.11.1998. Within the district, the materials are distributed by communes, within the commune - in alphabetical order and respecting the chronology of repressions. To ensure maximum accessibility, the Memory Book has been digitized and encoded in a QR Code.

The monument is made by the sculptor Iurie Platon. The inauguration of the monument took place on August 23, 2013. The bronze sculpture is 3 meters high, 12 meters long and weighs 15 tons.

IURIE PLATON

Painter, ceramist, sculptor, organizer of numerous international projects of intercultural exchanges, teacher of art education,

visual artist with work in public and private collections from all around the world,

awarded with prestigious prizes and distinctions at contemporary art competitions.

Studies:

1974 – 1981 Republican High School of Fine Arts Igor Vieru, class of Professor Victor Marinescu, Chisinau

1982 – 1987 Institute of Arts, class of teachers Eve Mardna, Leo Rohlin, Tallinn, Estonia, Specialization: Fine and Applied Arts

Devotion:

1985 He made his creative debut with painting at the Youth Theater, Tallinn, Estonia

1987 The republican exhibition of decorative art participates with the work Memories

1987 Full member of the Association of Young Visual Artists and Art Critics of the USSR Union of Fine Artists

1991 Full member of the Union of Visual Artists of the Republic of Moldova

1997, 1998 Initiator and organizer of the International Symposium of small bronze sculpture, Chisinau

1996, up until now he continues to be an freelance visual artist in Germany and the Republic of Moldova

Teaching activity in art education:

1987 – 1996 P Professor at the Academy of Music, Theater and Fine Arts, Chisinau. He led the first class of graduates at the ceramics department, of which Oleg Dobrovolschi, Elena Mogorean, Ion Niţa, Vladimir Tabac integrated in the contemporary creative process.

2000, 2003, 2008 Professor of stone sculpture at the Summer Academy at the An der Copelschleuse Creation Center, Meppen, Germany

2005 Outdoor painting teacher at courses organized by the Imbert Gallery, Aix-en-Provance, France

Solo Exhibitions:

From the beginning of his artistic activity up until now, he carries out an extensive creative activity, accumulating in his record more than 60 personal and group exhibitions in the country and abroad: Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Hungary.

Monumental works for public:

Argentina, Czech Republic, Germany, Republic of Moldova, Romania

Works in public and private collections:

Argentina, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Republic of Moldova, Romania

Distinctions / scholarships:

1991 Youth Prize for Fine Arts, awarded by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Moldova

1994 Iulian Antonescu Museum Complex Award, Bacău, Romania

1996 Lotus Company Award, Romania - awarded at the exhibition-contest of contemporary art Salons of Moldova: Romania-Republic of Moldova

1997 First Prize of the Radio Free Europe Sculptors Symposium, Czech Republic

2000, 2003, 2008 Scholarship awarded by the An der Copelschleuse Creative Center, Meppen, Germany

2006 Scholarship awarded by the International Confederation of Visual Artists' Unions of Moscow at the Cité Internaionali des Arts, Paris, France

2009 Prize of the Union of Visual Artists of the Republic of Moldova