The art of Cloisonné enamel jewellery

The Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi has a small exhibition, from 23 December 2013 to 30 April 2015, on the making of a piece of Cloisonne enamel jewellery, called Revival of Lost Technologies - Cloisonne Enamel. The main item on exhibit is the cloisonné enamel medallion of Saint Simon the Apostle – it is a copy from the Khakhuli Triptych Icon of the All-Holy Mother of God. Accompanying the exhibition is a brief documentary (a few minutes long). The metalworking profession originated in the 2^nd century AD and continued until the middle of the 15^th century, when the techniques were no longer used.

The gold ornaments with cloisonné inlays of almandine and coloured glass plaques were found in the graves of nobility from the Kingdom of Kartli (Iberia). The gold ring, circa 4^th century AD, with cloisonné enamel is from the Armaziskhevi Necropolis, grave No. 13, which represents the earliest examples of cloisonné enamel jewellery in Georgia. The bronze buckle, circa 3nd century AD, has chamleve enamel, and was found in grave No. 1.

Led by Ermile Maghradze, the project called In the Footsteps of Lost Technologies-Cloisonne Enamel, initiated by the Georgian National Museum, was financed by UNESCO. The project involved the study of the technological processes in the metalwork. All tools required to make cloisonné enamel were reconstructed.

During the archaeological digs in 1966 in the former town of Vani, a conical iron hood with apertures was found. The function of the ‘Colchian hood’ proved to be a tool for goldsmithing, specifically for soldering precious metals.

The culmination of the project was the making of a copy of a cloisonné enamel medallion of Saint Simon, using the reconstructed anciet tools.

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

Shindi: the Georgian Cornelian cherry

The Cornelian cherry – shindi in Georgian – is a fruit with medicinal and decorative properties. It was grown from ancient times, according to the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). It is also commonly called the European cornel. It is native to southern Europe from France to Ukraine as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. The Cornelian cherry tree ( Cornus mas ) can be grown in orchards, but it is often seen in the forests of Georgia where it grows up to 1,350 metres above sea level. It is a medium to large deciduous tree, growing from 5-12 metres tall. The flowers are small with four yellow petals in clusters, which flower in February and March. The Cornus mas has three botanical varieties: (1) var. typica Sanadze with cylindrical red fruits, (2) var. pyriformis Sanadze with pear-shaped red fruits, and (3) var. flava vest with yellow fruits. The fruits are oblong red drupes about 2 centimetres ...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog