Edward Ter Ghazarian (founder of miniature art)

Microminiaturist Maestro Edward Ter-Ghazarian is considered a founder of the microminiature art. He views the world through the eye of a needle. — Microminiaturist Maestro Edward Ter-Ghazarian

The world renowned Armenian micro miniaturist Edward Ghazaryan is considered the founder of the unique art of micro miniature. In the 1950s the European press was abuzz about an Armenian man who claimed to create tiny works of art smaller than the eye of a needle. One German newspaper reader had his doubts and sent a letter of disbelief to the artist. Weeks later came the reply, hand-written on a human hair. Edward Ghazaryan has exposed his first invisible by the naked eye micro miniature works in Yerevan more than half a century ago. He created over 600 of such miniatures and granted many as tokens of friendship to prominent figures of foreign countries like Honaker, Queen of England Elizabeth II, Chrushev, Stalin, Janise Khaddar, Ho Shi Min, Rockefeller and many others. His exhibitions have been shown around the world. In 1977 Eduard Kazaryan showed his work in Armenian pavilion of Soviet exhibition in Los-Angeles (USA). American visitors of exhibition called his works “the 8th world wonder”(Los Angeles Times Mon., Nov.21, 1977). As if this wasn’t enough, Edward also managed to create asynchronously moving micro sculptures that to date (over 30 years) have not been replicated. He demonstrated this for the first time in Moscow where a set of figures where performing a play inside a human hair.

Edward is a man of many phenomenal talents. Born in Yerevan he has received higher musical education and for many years was one of the leading musicians of the Philharmonic orchestra of Armenia. In addition to his micro-art and musical talents, Edward is an eminent violinist innovator, talented musical sculptor and an excellent caricaturist. His violins are owned by many prominent musicians. Each aspect of his life separately may serve as a biography of an outstanding artist, musician, doctor, ophthalmologist, cardiologist and a scientist. These are the many sides of Edward Ghazarian.

And they say polymaths are extinct. See for yourself and be amazed!

Backgammon board, constructed on a grain of rice that has been split in half. — The world’s smallest backgammon board constructed on a grain of rice, that has been split in half. Counters are made of obsidian and gold.

A caravan of camels made of precious stones, placed in the eye of a sewing needle.

Stone Flowers. Made from Armenian stones of different color. Each petal of flowers is 100 times thinner than a human hair.

Charlie Chaplin inside the eye of a needle. — The statuette of Charlie Chaplin inside the eye of a needle, made from a piece of the same needle. The stick is made from a thin piece of cobweb. There’s also a flower in Carlie’s breast pocket.

The figurine a ballerina. Made from the steel and placed on the pointed end of the human hair. — The figurine a ballerina. Made from steel and placed on the pointed end of a human hair.

The statuette of a Crucified Christ — The statuette of Christ is ivory. The cross is made of black wood. On the palms and legs of Christ you can see the heads of hammered nails. Christ is thinner than a human hair.

Golden statuette of Paganini placed inside the eye of a household needle. Musician’s face is 50 times smaller than a semolina grain. Beneath the statue there is an inscription in Italian: “Niccolo Paganini”.

The lace is woven from the threads thinner that a human hair.

Don Quixote and Sancho Pansa in the eye of a needle. — Figurines of Don Quixote and his faithful servant Sancho Panza inside the eye of a thin needle. Made of colorful precious stones and fastened in the eye of a needle.

A Spanish bullfighter made of precious stones on a human hair. — A Spanish bullfighter, made of precious stones on a human hair with a length of 2mm.

The Statue of Liberty – made from ivory and is thinner than a human hair.

Two Deers in Jermuk — The statuettes of two Deers over the precipice of Jermuk (in Armenia). Made from bits of colorful Armenian stones.

People playing football inside a human hair. — Figurines of football-players inside a perforated and polished human hair. Sculpted from an Armenian black obsidian stone.

Five violins of Stradivarius — Five wooden violins of Stradivarius installed inside a stringed hair. Below an engraved portrait of Stradivarius.

Portrait of Victor Hambardzumyan — Mosaic portrait of the world famous astrophysicist Victor Hambardzumyan, ex-president of National Academy of the Republic of Armenia. Made with 15000 bits of multi-colored Armenian stones.

A moving figurine of David Copperfield inside the eye of a needle.The figurine was made from the remains of a 20 thousand year old mammoth.

Bust of Napoleon. Made from ivory. Size – 1/4 of a single sugar grain.

Columbus approaching land. Each ship is less than a sugar grain. This masterpiece is dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America.

Abu and his camels — Abu La La Mahari with a caravan of camels. The microminiature is a motif of the poem of Armenian classical writer Avetik Isaakyan “Abu La La Mahari”. The panorama represents a desert and a caravan of camels. Abu La La Mahari goes to meet the sun. He greets the sun with a raised hand. The figurines of Abu and camels are made of gold bits. Camels’ legs are 300 times thinner than a human hair.

Depiction of a Zoo inside a black hair of a horse. All sorts of animals are places in 12 cages. The statuettes are made from bits of colorful Armenian stones.

An Eastern Town — A panorama of an eastern town engraved in gold.

Khachkars (Armenian cross stone) engraved on a thin piece of a human hair.

Mini roses — Roses of different colours – made from processed fish scales. Colored with natural Armenian colors “vordan karmir”. Stalks are made from human hair.

Another set of red Roses – made from the processed fish scales. They are treated by natural Armenian colors “vordan karmir”. The stalks are from human hair.

Khachkar (Armenian cross stone) engraved on an amber plate. Above is depicted the cathedral of Echmiadzin.

Khachkar (Armenian cross stone) with 60 portraits. — Khachkar (Armenian cross stone) with 60 portraits of scientists, writers, historians and philosophers of Middle Age Armenia. Engraved on an amber plate. Each portrait is thinner than a human hair.

The khachkar (Armenian cross stone) — Another khachkar (Armenian cross stone) engraved on an amber plate, surrounded by Armenian folk ornaments.

The sculpture of Venus of Milos. Made from marble, thinner than a human hair.

Moving Gulliver and Lilliputians — A moving scene of Gulliver and Lilliputians. Gulliver is standing with a bottle in his hand. In it he placed one of the Lilliputians, who’s making every effort to jump out of the bottle. The bottle is made from a polished human hair. There his other hand a soldier is waving the sword demanding to set free his friend from the bottle. Other Lilliputians are trying to climb onto Gulliver using ladders and sticks trying to free the “bottled” Lilliputian. Gulliver is moving his head. He is 2mm. One can see his eyes, hair and dress with all the details (buttons, lines, etc.)

An ensemble of Armenian dancing girls. The bridge is made from a human hair. Girls statuettes are made of bits of precious stones.

Flowers painted with Japanese oils, using a “brush” of pointed thin human hair.

Mini violin — A real miniature violin, on which the maestro plays himself

Mini violin bow — A violin bow, used by the maestro to play the worlds’ smallest violin.

More about this remarkable man can be found HERE

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dutchgezelligheid

11 years ago

Love his works. Thx for the post!

PeopleOfAr

Reply to dutchgezelligheid

yeah i was really amazed when I saw his backgammon piece. btw. there’s a cnn report about him on YT, it’s pretty awesome to see some of those moving miniatures. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJxA3n26N34&feature=related

Marianna

Reply to PeopleOfAr

i just saw this reply, sorry! yeah, the moving works are great as well, i saw some of them at an exhibition in yerevan. it’s a nice story on cnn, thx for the link!

LUKE

I have one of his works I would like to sell. It is one of the roses in the bottle. I have had it for a number of years.

ADELINA NAZARYAN

9 years ago

Reply to LUKE

HAVE YOU SOLD IT YET? PLEASE LET ME KNOW. MY EMAIL IS ITSADELINA@YAHOO.COM

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10 years ago

[…] scale now. Just wait and you will see me on the news one day! And here's an even loftier goal: http://peopleofar.wordpress.com/2012…-miniature-art House, My point is about people not knowing what options are out there. I recently talked to a […]

Giane Romanov

Uncle Eddik, as I called him; taught me how to draw. He use to take out his markers and do characatures. As I began doing what he taught me, he encouraged me. I’ve seen so much of his work in his livingroom under microscope (in Yerevan). He will forever be the BEST part of my childhood.

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[…] (Courtesy of People of Ar) […]

minasian

I have 3 art pieces of his work. I would like to sell these if anyone is still interested. Just send me an email to minasian@hotmail.nl and I’ll send you the pictures. I have the one with the camels, the guitar piece and dancing men and women in front of the Ararat mountain and Masis

David

Reply to minasian

Are they still for sale
Davidnz2003@hotmail.com

Rafail

3 years ago

Hi!! I have several of his works I would like to sell. For more info contact me!

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Edward Ter Ghazarian (founder of miniature art)

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