The last temporary exhibition of the season at Art Safari, “The Gold of Brukenthal,” will be presented in Bucharest from June 27 to July 28.
The exhibition, curated by Alexandru Constantin Chituță, manager of the National Brukenthal Museum, will premiere works from the treasure of the History Museum Altemberger House in Bucharest.
The treasure of the National Brukenthal Museum, with over 2,000 pieces, represents an invaluable trove of the history of precious metalwork in Transylvania, as stated by the curator.
“Our collaboration with Art Safari continues, and this year we will premiere in Bucharest pieces from the unique and extremely valuable historical treasure of the History Museum Altemberger House within the National Brukenthal Museum. These are spectacular pieces created through a complexity of techniques and decorative motifs adorned with precious stones: diamonds, natural pearls, rubies, etc.,” Chituță said in the statement cited by Agerpres.
The exhibition will feature prehistoric gold pieces, Roman pieces (jewelry and coins), early medieval pieces (6th-7th century), gold coins minted in Sibiu, gem-set rings, Saxon ornaments, and religious objects made by the goldsmiths’ guild of Sibiu, one of the most famous in Europe.
Among the exceptional pieces on display will be the “Relic Cross from Cisnădie” from around 1440 (the most spectacular piece of Transylvanian silverware made for the Roman Catholic Church of Cisnădie), the “Coconut Shell Chalice” from 1650, the “Rhinoceros Horn Cup” from 1694, the “Maiden’s Goblet” from the 17th century, and the “Lidded Tankard” made by the great master Sebastian Hann in 1682. Also on display will be the “Marienheftel Buckle with the Virgin Mary” from the 16th century, the Sponsianus coin (a rare coin researched by University College London, originating from a treasure discovered in Transylvania in 1713), and numerous other pieces.
The National Brukenthal Museum has formed over time a true treasure of gold and precious metals, both in terms of authorship and criteria of rarity and aesthetics – liturgical and everyday silverware, ornaments, and jewelry. The core of this collection was the numismatic cabinet of Baron Samuel von Brukenthal, arranged in his palace in the Great Square, advertised in a Sibiu guide from 1790.
Currently, as a reference for size, just the numismatic collection, which includes many pieces of precious metal, has reached an impressive number of over 67,000 pieces. In parallel, the goldsmith collection (“Treasure”) has been formed and enriched through donations or acquisitions from Evangelical churches, guilds, collector jewelers, private owners, or archaeological discoveries.
The most important part of the Treasure is the collection of liturgical silverware – one of the richest and most valuable in Central and Eastern Europe, most of the pieces being the work of Sibiu silversmiths, considered masterpieces of precious metalwork in Transylvania and, in terms of market value, among the most valuable in all of Europe.
(Photo source: Art Safari Bucharest on Facebook)
