Elites and Coats of Arms in the Old Bucharest

STARTING DECEMBER 2019

THEMATIC EXHIBITION AT THE SUȚU PALACE

ELITES AND COATS OF ARMS IN THE OLD BUCHAREST

The exhibition ”Elites and Coats of Arms” will be open for the public from December 18th 2019 to April 2020 at the Suțu Palace and will showcase a rediscovered history of Bucharest’s elites from the 19th and 20th centuries, represented through coats of arms. At the middle of the 19th century the Romanian Principalities witnessed a revival of family coats of arms, which represented a form of European integration of Romanian aristocracy. During the 19th century, using coats of arms to adorn palaces, houses, daily-use objects and clothing was common practice. The coat of arms, through its structure, reconstitutes the symbolic universe of a royal or noble family, it records the imprint of a historical figure, it includes a story, a mystery that calls to be solved. The objects bearing coats of arms are especially important for museums because they represent a true certificate of authenticity.

The exhibition will highlight items of decorative art such as: crystal-porcelain and metal objects, furniture armored with heraldic symbols from BMM’s collections, seals, costumes and clothing accessories, photographs which belonged to famous families such as: Suțu, Mavrocordat, Cantacuzino, Ghica, the Cuza royal family Cuza and the Romanian Royal family.