HISTORY MUSEUM OF ARMENIA

Treasures of Artsakh: Part IV

HMA > Treasures of Artsakh: Part IV

Treasures of Artsakh: Part IV

Treasures of Artsakh: PART IV

Artsakh in the 19th-21st Centuries

The Armenian national costume is an integral component of the Armenian culture having existed through long periods of historical development. Each province of historic Armenia is distinguished by its costume, but shares some general features of all Armenian clothing  including structure, patterns of different elements, and ways of making and wearing them.

The costume ensemble of Artsakh-Syunik was distinguished by modest dresses, luxurious jewelry, and complicated headdress. The traditional women’s costume consisted of an upper shirt (virvi halav-վիրվի հալավ) and outfit called “irekpshkani,” worn over a chemise. The upper shirt was made of red silk or calico with round neckline elongated incision with black velvet or satin, as well as sewn silver small jewelry. The skirt of “irekpshkani” consisted of three parts and it was made of dark green silk and blue or violet fabric.

EXHIBITION GALLERY

  • Rug “Jraberd”, Beginning of the 20th C., Artsakh- Syunik‘, wool, AMMM L1991.21. Jraberd type dragon rugs are also known as Artsvagorg (Eagle rug). The red ground of the rug displays three radiating medallions enclosing cross-shaped compositions with ornate rosettes in the center. The borders are three striped. The inner and outer borders are decorated with a toothed border ornament, bracketing a central band of star patterned rosettes.
  • Rug, 1803, Artsakh, wool, CMCA 443. Rugs with diamond-shaped patterns were common in many regions of Armenia․ They were especially widespread in Artsakh and Syunik, and in the region of Lori (later in Shamakhi), where their various types were flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is decorated with elegantly stylized diagonal patterns running along the field and cross-shaped rosettes in the center. The rug bears a dated Armenian inscription with the initials.
  • Rug, 1906, Shushi, wool, AMMM L1988.727. The ornamental composition of this type of rug is characteristic of the Armenian medieval miniature centers of Artsakh and Syunik. The red ground is depicted with the rhombus ornament which are decorated with flower patterns and a flank image on its ends. The middle and top parts of the regular rows are decorated with the tree of life, human, and animal images. The inner and outer layers of the border had wavy-shaped patterns. The star patterns with the cross -shaped rosettes extend along the white broad center border. The rug has an inscription in Armenian which reads: “Aslan Khachatren in the year 1906.”
  • Jejim, 19th C., Artsakh, wool, AEM. Pileless or flat-woven carpet weaving in Armenia has very old traditions and its origins are earlier than even piled carpet weaving. It was practiced in almost all regions of Armenia. Pileless carpets served different purposes in everyday life and were accordingly named, including travelling bags (khurjins), bedclothes -(mafrashes), ornamented sacks for preservation of salt and cereals, women’s aprons, and saddle bags. Carpets were spread on the floor, served to cover the couches, to decorate the walls and other uses. Jejim, is a separate group of the pileless carpet with a primitive woven method and ornamentation. The field of this jejim is divided into three sections by narrow colored bands, which are decorated by a diagonal and a cross shaped patterns. The medallions with two concentric hooked edges rhombus patterns are set along the red and blue background of the intermediate field. A cross is in the center of the medallions’ rosettes.
  • Rug “Amaras”, 1918, Varanda-Khachen, wool, MCV. Decorated with multipetal and large linear rosettes and floral and zoomorphic stylized patterns. The upper part of the field has a dated Armenian inscription "1918 SIRANUSH ANNA," and the middle “TAGUHI” and “SIRAN.”
  • Rug “Getashen”, 1858, Artsakh, wool, AMA 1992.361. The type of the “Jagged band” rugs is called “Getashen”. It displays five medallions and splendid floral, zoomorphic, and geometrical motifs. The slight purplish hue of the field of the rug suggests that the dyestuff source is the Armenian cochineal or Ararat scale (Porphyrophora Hamelii) known in Armenia as Vordan Karmir (Armenian: որդան կարմիր, literally "worm's red"). The rug bears an Armenian inscription: "The rug was woven in the year 1858 A[pril] 14"
  • Costume ensemble, 1819, Shushi, silk, cotton, HMA 851, 8430-2. A long-sleeved green silk outer garment with gold thread embroidered borders worn over a red silk full length shirt with cotton sleeves.
  • Belt, 18th C., Artsakh, silver, leather, CMCA1596. 6 dome-shaped studs and 5 narrow oblong silver plates are attached to the leather strap. The vegetal and geometric ornaments of the rectangular two-piece clasp and the convex ornament in the center are bordered with vegetal and granular decorations. It is made with carving, niello, and enameling methods.
  • Head adornment “Ker” (hook), 19th C., Shushi, silver, ASMHRS15275. Four-sided, filigree silver plates are fastened on the woven chains. Made by the double-thread method. An important part of the women's costume of Artsakh-Syunik was the headdress, which stood out for its special richness and beauty. It was also considered the most complex, as it consisted of several parts. The “Ker” adornments were one of the important parts of the head decoration and stretched from the temples to the top and after crossing each other at the back of the head, they were attached to the headscarf.
  • Dagger with scabbard, 19th C., Shushi, steel, silver, enamel, wood, HMA 6335. A double-edged dagger with three-grooved blade․ There are three protrusions on the handle, two are hemispherical and the middle one oval-shaped. The dagger is exceptional in its decoration. In contrast to more common methods as silver or niello plating, the front side of the scabbard is enameled and engraved with golden floral ornaments and the image of a coiled snake. The jeweler-weaponsmith is Grigor Badamyants from Shushi.
  • “Patmutyun Surb Grots” (The History of the Holy Scripture), 1828, Shushi, NLA. It is considered to be one of the first printed books published in Shushi in 1828. It was translated from Russian by the scribe and translator Harutyun Davtyan Jughaetsi. The book was published in the printing house founded by protestant missionaries from Basel who settled in Shushi. They published four books in 1828, but only the "Patmutyun Surb Grots" still survives. In 1837, after the cessation of the activities of the preachers, the printing house was acquired by the Metropolitan Baghdasar Hasan-Jalalyan.
  • “Patmutyun kam Hishatak inchʻ inchʻ antsʻitsʻ dipelotsʻ ashkharhin Aghuanitsʻ” hamarotagrel I Srbaznakatar Katoghikosen Aghuanitsʻ i Ter Esayi Hasan-Jalalents (The history or memoirs of what terrible incidents occurred in the region of Aghuankʻ), 1839, Shushi, VTMM. The work is a primary source on the Armenian liberation struggle in the 18th century, Armenian-Georgian and Armenian-Russian relations, military, and political events of the region, written by the eyewitness author and leading figure of the liberation struggle, catholicos Yesai Hasan-Jalalyan (1702-1728). The second edition of this book was in Jerusalem in 1868 under the title "A brief history of the Aghuankʻ region."
  • Haykakan ashkharh (The Armenian World) periodical, 1874, Shushi, NLA. The first Armenian-language literary, pedagogical, and religious monthly launched in 1874 in Shushi. The editor-publisher was Archimandrite Khoren Stepane (Stepan Stepanyan), who was engaged in pedagogical activities in Shushi in 1874-75.
  • Azgagrakan Handes (Ethnographic Journal), 1895-1896, Shushi, VTMM. First volume of the first Armenian ethnographic periodical, published in Shushi, the rest in Tiflis until 1916. Ethnographer, archaeologist, and folklorist Yervand Lalayan was the editor-publisher. 26 volumes were published with the materials and studies related to Armenian ethnography, folklore, archeology, lithography, history, law, and art.
  • Group photo of schoolgirls of Shushi city school, 1906, Shushi, HMA 6335. In 1875, the local provincial school of Shushi was transformed into a state-city school, which functioned until 1920. Educational life experienced an awakening in Artsakh with the general revitalization of social and cultural life in 1860-1870s. Famous pedagogues Petros Shanshyan, Perch Proshyan, Ghazaros Aghayan, Khoren Stepane (Stepan Stepanyan) and many others, implemented pedagogical change in the schools applying advanced teaching methods.
  • Mariamyan school for girls, Photo by Rafik Hakobyan, 1976, Shushi, HMA 2534. A parish school for girls opened in 1864 on the initiative of the Mariam Hakhumyan family and the prominent public figure and pedagogue Petros Shanshyan. After interruptions, the school reopened under the sponsorship of the Ghukasyan brothers as the "Mariam-Ghukasyan" school for girls and functioned until 1920.
  • General Andranik's Fedayee group c. 1918, Photo by Rouben Ter-Stepanian, PSAPA- P L1982.028.067. Ruben Ter-Stepanian (Bagratuni) was physician to Andranik and his troops. Born in Kharberd, he graduated from Tufts University Medical School in 1910 and was among the first volunteers who left Boston in 1914 to join General Andranik in defending Armenia.
  • Commemorative medal dedicated to the independence of Artsakh, 1993, Lyon, HMA, 20258/2, The commemorative medal was minted in a limited number in 1993 in Lyon.
  • Entrance to the palace of Melik Yegan, Ruben Hovhannisyan, oil on canvas, TM. The palace was built in 1737 in Togh village by Melik-Yegan (1716-1744), founder of Dizak melikates.
  • Toghasar (Hadrut), Ruben Hovhannisyan, oil on canvas, TM
  • “Zruytsner”, Vrtanes Papazyan, 1911, Shushi, National Association for Armenian Studies and Research. Armenian writer, political and cultural figure Vrtanes Papazyan describes the socio-political conditions of the Armenian people through 21 allegorical tales in this book published in Shushi in 2099. The book was printed by Bagrat Ter-Sahakyan, whose publishing activity was interrupted by the massacre of the Armenians of Shushi on March 23, 1920.