The Low Countries is a coastal region in western Europe, consisting especially of the Netherlands and Belgium which historically have often been part of the same domain. The name of the modern country the Netherlands has the same meaning and origin as the term “low countries” due to “nether” meaning “lower”. The region politically...
Paintings of Armenian Life by Jean Baptiste Vanmour (1671 – 1737)
Jean Baptiste Vanmour was a Flemish-French painter, remembered for his detailed portrayal of life in the Ottoman Empire during the Tulip Era and the rule of Sultan Ahmed III. As such he has also captured Armenian life within the Ottoman empire of the era in some of his paintings bellow: Armenian Wedding by Jean Baptiste Vanmour (1720...
Old Photographs of Armenians from Tiflis (1881)
These old photographs were taken by Mr. Ernest Chantre, assistant-director of the Museum of Lyon (France) in 1881. During his travels, as seen in the map above, he collected pictures of many different ethnic groups for scientific and medical purposes, among others pictures of Armenian residents of the Old Tiflis (Tbilis, capitol of Georgia)....
Armenian Calligraphy Animation by Ruben Malayan
Armenian Calligraphy (Komitas Edit 2:30 min) by Ruben Malayan 2015 from Ruben Malayan on Vimeo.
Beautiful animation displaying Armenian Calligraphy, created by Ruben Malayan, music by Komitas. Ruben Malayan is an Armenian artist and designer who has devoted many years to studying ancient Armenian manuscripts and is perhaps personally responsible for the revival of the Armenian calligraphy art. I’ve been a huge fan of his work ever since I stumbled upon some...
The Red Color of Armenian Garments and Rugs
As people might know, Armenian national garments and rugs are often adorned with a rich, deep red color. But what most might not realize is that this is all thanks to a little insect called the “Armenian cochineal“ also known as “Kermes” which is indigenous to the Ararat plain and Aras River valley in the Armenian Highlands. The lowly scale bug,...
Before Romeo and Juliet there was Khosrow and Shirin
So we’ve all heard the Shakespearean love tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, but how many in the western world are familiar with the ‘most beautiful love story ever written’ in Persian literature; Khosrow and Shirin (also known as Shirin and Farhad)? The story of Shirin and Khosrow is one of the most popular ancient stories in the middle...
Armenian Folk Art on Display in Museums Around the World
The Russian Museum of Ethnography recently held an exhibition on Armenian traditional culture. The exhibition titled “The World of Traditional Armenian Culture“ featured never before seen objects characteristic of the most widespread occupations and crafts among the Armenians: weaponry, jewelry, carpets, musical instruments, lace works and embroidery. Regarding Armenian craftsmanship the museum’s website states: “…Armenian people achieved general recognition...
Old French Commercial Poster for Papier d’Arménie (1880-1890)
Papier d’Arménie, or Armenian Paper, is a room deodorizer made of sheets of paper, which are coated with the dried sap of styrax trees. At the end of the 19th century, Auguste Ponsot discovered that Armenian households would burn Styrax as a fragrance and disinfectant. M. Ponsot adopted this habit with the help of...
Sketches of Ancient Armenian Costumes by Eugène Lacoste (1877-1878)
I recently stumbled upon some interesting sketches of Armenian costumes from the 2nd to 3rd century AD. These sketches by Eugène Lacoste (from 1877-1878) depict ancient Armenian costumes, for usage in theaters for the opera about Saint Polyeuctus. Polyeuctus according Christian tradition was an ancient Roman saint who lived in the early 3rd century AD. Christian tradition states that he was...
Victoria’s Secret Supermodel Stella Maxwell poses for Vogue in Armenia
The famous supermodel and ‘Victoria’s Secret Angel’ Stella Maxwell was photographed in Armenia for the cover of Vogue Russia’s October 2015 issue. Maxwell’s outfits and accessories were inspired by traditional Armenian Taraz (national costume). The American photographer with Armenian roots David Mushegain photographed Stella Maxwell with colorful backgrounds of Armenian cultural symbols like dried fruits and carpets, as...
