Art from Armenia, at history's crossroads, celebrated at Louvre
PARIS -- Mongolian dragons, Persian peacocks and radiating Arabic stars are just some of the foreign motifs that embellish Armenia's sacred Christian relics — showing how the oft-invaded nation has drawn on outside influences to strengthen its own identity.
A new exhibition at the Louvre Museum in Paris showcases the resilience of Armenian culture. "Armenia Sacra," which runs through May 21, brings together more than 200 of the country's most spectacular religious objects, many of which survived and flourished during centuries of foreign domination.
Geographically, Armenia is at a crossroads, long tucked between the rival Roman and Persian empires, and later dominated by Russia and the Soviet Union.
"They're stuck right in the middle of things," said Ioanna Rapti, one of the exhibit's curators. "They borrowed foreign tastes, motifs and symbols, adapting them to fit their own culture."
Objects in the exhibition — which include dozens of manuscripts, a national specialty — come from museums throughout Armenia and beyond. Relatively small and portable, manuscripts were often taken abroad by Armenians fleeing the recurring invasions.
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A new exhibition at the Louvre Museum in Paris showcases the resilience of Armenian culture. "Armenia Sacra," which runs through May 21, brings together more than 200 of the country's most spectacular religious objects, many of which survived and flourished during centuries of foreign domination.
Geographically, Armenia is at a crossroads, long tucked between the rival Roman and Persian empires, and later dominated by Russia and the Soviet Union.
"They're stuck right in the middle of things," said Ioanna Rapti, one of the exhibit's curators. "They borrowed foreign tastes, motifs and symbols, adapting them to fit their own culture."
Objects in the exhibition — which include dozens of manuscripts, a national specialty — come from museums throughout Armenia and beyond. Relatively small and portable, manuscripts were often taken abroad by Armenians fleeing the recurring invasions.