Treasures from the Ark: 1700 Years of Armenian Christian Art

From Library Journal
In 301 C.E., the Armenian people became the first to adopt Christianity as their official religion, and Nersessian (curator of Armenian collections at the British Library) celebrates 1700 years of Armenian Christian art in this exhibition catalog. Armenia's precarious political and geographical position directly affected the spread of Christianity, the place of the Armenian church in Christendom, and the development of a uniquely Armenian iconography. Unfortunately, this position also led to invasion and foreign rule throughout much of Armenia's history. The photos cover sculpture, metal works, textiles, carved wood, ceramics, and manuscripts, while the text builds a firm foundation through coverage of geography, history, religion, and politics, showing how religion and language held the Armenians together through foreign rule and diaspora. The result is an excellent holistic body of work whose single fault lies in the small size of the photos. Overall, Nersessian provides excellent coverage on a topic that is covered only in part elsewhere. Recommended for libraries specializing in art history and European history and for larger public libraries. Nadine Dalton Speidel, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


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In 301 C.E., the Armenian people became the first to adopt Christianity as their official religion, and Nersessian (curator of Armenian collections at the British Library) celebrates 1700 years of Armenian Christian art in this exhibition catalog. Armenia's precarious political and geographical position directly affected the spread of Christianity, the place of the Armenian church in Christendom, and the development of a uniquely Armenian iconography. Unfortunately, this position also led to invasion and foreign rule throughout much of Armenia's history. The photos cover sculpture, metal works, textiles, carved wood, ceramics, and manuscripts, while the text builds a firm foundation through coverage of geography, history, religion, and politics, showing how religion and language held the Armenians together through foreign rule and diaspora. The result is an excellent holistic body of work whose single fault lies in the small size of the photos. Overall, Nersessian provides excellent coverage on a topic that is covered only in part elsewhere. Recommended for libraries specializing in art history and European history and for larger public libraries. Nadine Dalton Speidel, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.


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