Armenian ornaments
A world of forms, beliefs, and memory in Armenian art
Armenian ornament is not merely decoration used to beautify a surface. It is a cultural language through which Armenian masters of different periods expressed ideas about the world, nature, life, death, eternity, fertility, and sacredness.
The same or closely related images appear on church walls, khachkars, manuscript miniatures, carpets, traditional clothing, embroidery, metalwork, ceramics, and woodcarving. Yet the form of an ornament did not always remain unchanged. Every period, region, and master reworked it, adapting it to the material, technique, and purpose of the particular work.
A defining feature of Armenian ornamental art is the continuity of forms. Solar, vegetal, animal, and geometric images from the pre-Christian period did not disappear completely within Christian culture. They acquired new interpretations and were combined with the ideas of the cross, paradise, resurrection, and eternal life.
For this reason, ornament should be viewed not only as a beautiful image, but also as a bearer of historical memory. It has preserved people’s beliefs, fears, aspirations, worldview, and desire to bring order to the world around them.