Armenian Miniatures

A distinctly exotic flavor marks these works, which are completely unfamiliar to most art historians and specialists. Even those who have had some acquaintance with Armenian miniatures and illuminations will find that most of the material in this book has never before been reproduced. Thus we have what is in effect a real ‘find,’ a new artistic experience.

Here is a survey of over 1,000 years of this art from the collections of the Matenadaran, the library at Yerevan, in the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. From the beginnings in the 6th or 7th century, A.D., through the 17th century, we may here sample the different aspects of a fascinating art form, the styles of the various schools, and their modifications through the centuries. Many influences left an imprint on this art, but there are original contributions iconographically and stylistically, and the author shows us how widespread, in the Levantine sphere, was the activity of the Armenian miniature painters—in Persia, Crimea, Syria, throughout Asia Minor, and in Constantinople itself.

To be noted in these works are the masterful technique, the astonishing richness of ornamentation, the wide variety and the mixture of traditional and original Christian motifs, the extraordinary color—sometimes delicately nuanced and sometimes of enamel-like brilliance against gold backgrounds—and the sureness of the drawing. These pages, so exquisitely reproduced in this book, charm us with their fantasy and invention.

The author, the outstanding authority on this subject, is the curator of the museum at Yerevan. An artist herself, she also directs a school for training in the copying and preservation of ancient Armenian frescoes and miniatures. A lively preface is my Miss Der Nersessian, professor of art and archaeology at Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C., and member of the faculty of Harvard University.

99 reproductions, including 97 hand-tipped, full-color plates, many with gold

NOTES