Armenian Folk Arts, Culture, and Identity: [Hardcover]

Levon Abrahamian (Editor), Nancy Sweezy (Editor), Sam Sweezy (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2001

Over the centuries, Armenians expressed their legends, belief systems, and histories in their cultural creations - through art and architecture, festival and music, myth and religion, book and lifestyle. These artistic expressions of culture reside at the core of Armenian identity and tell the world the unique story of how Armenians came to be the people they are today. Nine Armenian scholars explore the origins and meanings of Armenian identity though symbols - the world as a garden, the sacred mountain, the temple, the book, and the khachkar, or cross-stone - and the objects with which Armenians have historically surrounded themselves - the home, wooden and metal vessels and utensils, clay jars for food storage, furniture, rugs, carpets, and decorative fabrics. Expressions of ethnic identity are also explored though articles of clothing and jewellery. Traces of ancient myths and legends that convey contemporary Armenian values and beliefs are observed in community celebrations such as feasts and festivals, music and wedding rituals. Drawing on a wealth of sources from ancient lapidary inscriptions to medieval historiographies and modern travel books, "Armenian Folk Arts, Culture, and Identity" takes readers to archaeological sites, to see artefacts, and to visit some of the artisans who have created Armenian culture. More than 60 colour and 200 black and white photographs illustrate the vital artistic heritage of Armenia. This beautifully designed book brings to English-speaking audiences an increased understanding of the history and creativity that have shaped Armenian culture and identity.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Armenian Folk Arts, Culture, and Identity, edited by anthropologist Levon Abrahamian and artist and art historian Nancy Sweezy, traces this ancient culture from the end of the fourth millennium B.C., when the Kura-Arakses civilization occupied the Armenian highland, to contemporary Armenian wedding ceremonies (wherein "the bridegroom, in his role as king during the wedding ritual" becomes "transformed miraculously, once in his lifetime, into the symbolic defender of the Armenian people"). Color images of ruins, landscapes, artifacts, art, households, businesses and people, as well as maps, manuscripts and paintings, appear on every page, accompanying the essays by assorted scholars. This comprehensive scholarly and pictorial history will make anyone of Armenian descent proud.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

English-language information on the cultural products of Armenia is scarce. Present-day Armenia, located east of Turkey and northwest of Iran, is a small fraction of the much larger historic territory that is the geographic basis of this book. Appropriately, then, the nine contributors to this scholarly work take a historical and anthropological approach in their examination of Armenian architecture, costume, festivals, and artifacts (including carpets, sculpture, funeral arts, articles of clothing, and jewelry). Edited by an anthropologist and an art historian, respectively, this thorough treatment of Armenian folk arts is based on a variety of sources, ranging from ancient and medieval inscriptions to modern travel narratives, and is generously illustrated with more than 60 color and 200 black-and-white photographs, many offering a glimpse of the rich collections at the State Museum of Folk Art of Armenia. Highly recommended for academic libraries and public libraries needing materials related to Armenian culture. [For more on Armenian art and culture, see Vrej Nersessian's Treasures from the Ark: 1,700 Years of Armenian Christian Art, LJ 8/01, Nersessian's The Bible in the Armenian Tradition, LJ 10/15/01, and Thomas F. Mathews & Alice Taylor's The Armenian Gospels of Gladzor, LJ 10/15/01. Ed.] Nancy B. Turner, New Mexico State Univ. Lib., Las Cruce.
- Nancy B. Turner, New Mexico State Univ. Lib., Las Cruces
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press; First Edition edition (September 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253337046
• ISBN-13: 978-0253337047
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,181,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)