Learning a country’s culture and traditions through its arts, crafts, and craftsmen is an exceptional experience. Armenian culture is distinguished by extraordinary crafts, and most of the crafted pieces become rarities. The true keepers of the craft continue to pass down the knowledge and skills from generation to generation, develop their craft and make it popular, thus reviving the national crafts of Armenia.
There is a very beautiful word in Armenian - “varpet,” which translates as “master of a skill”. Armenians use it to express the highest degree of respect for someone. “Varpet” is the level of competence and the title that every t craftsperson aspires to achieve . VIt is also a word used universally to address a craftsperson in any field, be it winemaking, shoemaking, cooking, tailoring, etc.
Master of khachkars
If you look closely at Armenian architecture, you will notice that most buildings bear stone carvings as facade decorations. However, the masterpiece of Armenian stone-cutting art is Khachkars. Khachkars are exceptionally distinctive cross-stones with openwork carvings that have no analogue anywhere in the world. Every corner of Armenia is decorated with khachkars. These monuments were erected for a variety of reasons such as conquest and large-scale construction, and many khachkars served as gravestones.
Pre-conditions for the emergence of the art of stone carving formed in 6th-7th centuries. In the 9th century, this craft truly flourished, and the peak of its development occurred in the 12th-13th centuries. Most often, a khachkar served as a tombstone, but they were also installed as an architectural monument in the courtyards of temples, palaces, etc. i. Today, masters continue to create inimitable khachkars, each unique, with designs that are not repeated in any other cross stone. There are 3 types of khachkar: cross stone with lace carving, Savior, and Deisis.
The central part of a lace khachkar depicts a cross, under which there is a circle, which symbolizes a human being and human life. The twisting ornaments represent our choices and paths. The upper part of the khachkar symbolizes God, as the cross (faith) is considered the road that connects the circle (the human) with God.
A Savior khachkar depicts the crucified Jesus Christ, but this is a rare type of the Armenian cross stone. There are but a few pieces in the world. A Deisis khachkar is the type that bears the images of the saints in the upper part.
Carpet weaving
Throughout history, carpet has occupied a special place in the Armenian interior. Armenian carpets are distinguished by complex ornamentation, geometric decorations, and floral patterns. \ Each region (Ani, Bayazet, Dvin, Zangezur, Lori) developed its own distinctive style of carpet weaving, which reflected local economic, climatic, and other features.
Carpet weaving is a work that requires extraordinary diligence and attention. An experienced craftsperson needs a year and a half to make one medium-sized carpet. Usually, masters weave no more than 3-4 hours a day, since eyesight gets dull because of the straining of the eye muscles and the sense of color weakens. The color palette of the Armenian carpet is dominated by the shades of red, black, yellow, brown, and white. Today, carpet weavers use ready-made dyed threads while in the past, they would spin the thread and color it with natural dyes themselves.
Duduk crafting
Music has a special place in Armenian culture. That is why varpets that make musical instruments (duduk, yavi, zurna, etc.) are held in high regard. Of course, the protagonist among the musical instruments of Armenia is the duduk. In 2005, UNESCO declared the music performed on the Armenian duduk a masterpiece of the intangible cultural heritage of mankind.
This instrument has a noticeable simple design but it completely differs in its pitch. The crafting of duduk requires a careful selection of materials. The wood of the Armenian apricot tree is the to-go choice here. The mouthpiece also plays an important role, therefore crafting it requires mastery and patience. The modern school of crafting duduk was founded by Varpet Karlen. Many of today’s crafting masters are his apprentices. Among modern craftsmen of other musical instruments, Hakob Khalatyan stands out with his mastery in crafting tar - a stringed plucked instrument that brings the sound of Armenian music closer to the Eastern pitch.
Leatherworking
Armenian leather production has always been famous for its quality. Many masters in modern Armenia are well-known as makers of top-quality shoes, bags, and accessories. The exquisite shoes of Armenian masters were famous throughout the Soviet Union.
However, leatherworking was not simply a successful craft on its own, it influenced the development of other fields as well. For example, in the 3rd and 4th centuries, lamb or calf skin was used to make parchment for books due to which many manuscripts have survived to this day. The craft of leatherworking now receives a modern interpretation through the works of contemporary masters, who find new forms of expression.
Local brands continue to keep the traditions of the Armenian leather business and at the same time, they adapt the craft to the requirements of our time, making leather-bound notebooks, stylish business card holders, bags with authentic designs, and other accessories.
Armenian pottery
The first pottery discovered on the territory of Armenia dates back to the 6th millennium BC ( Pottery Neolithic age ). The development of pottery was largely facilitated by the availability of raw materials - high-quality “kav” (clay), which was exported to other countries. The period when Armenian pottery truly bloomed was the Middle Ages, when the fame of the Dvin and Ani masters traveled far beyond the borders of the country. T In that period, Armenian masters were famous for their original plates, bowls, short-necked jugs, and low trays.
Today, ceramic art is most developed in Gyumri. Here, the craftsmen make karases (jugs) and ceramic decorations by following traditional techniques and pass their skills down to the next generation. You can see brilliant examples of Gyumri masters’ ceramic art in Villa Delenda.
The art of jewelry
The inhabitants of the Armenian Highlands began to process gold and silver as early as the 2nd millennium BC. Jewelry pieces with ornaments from the 9th-7th centuries BC have survived and now can be found at museums. One of the main centers of jewelry art was an ancient Armenian capital - Dvin. Silver and gilded belts, buckles, buttons, head ornaments, necklaces, and rings were highly popular among Armenians . All of the mentioned pieces were integral parts of the Armenian national costume, “taraz”.
In addition to the usual jewelry, Armenian masters decorated books with artfully designed gems, gold and silver bindings with complex ornaments.
One of the most famous jewelers, sculptors, and artists of today's Armenia is Arman Davtyan, who uses the creative pseudonym Nur. HHe is a highly decorated artist, and his award collection features a Medici gold medal. Nur presented a new image of jewelry art to the world. His work is sophisticated, with deep meaning that leaves the viewer with a genuine and lasting impression. The pieces made by Nur are showcased in different cities, including, of course, Yerevan - at the Nur Art Gallery.
During our tours, you will be able to touch the ethnic crafts, meet creative people from different regions of Armenia, and watch a real varpet in their working space. Moreover, you can try to make something yourself under their guidance, preserving the experience of creation in your memory.