Unique and Disappearing Crafts in Armenia

“He who masters a craft is hungry till afternoon, he who doesn’t – till the evening”. This old Armenian saying shows how important crafts were in everyday life of Armenians and how respected were craftsmen in society. In the past many people were specialized in some kind of craft. Crafts in Armenia saved people for whom it wasn’t just a way of earning money, but a lifestyle meant to create an art.

Armenian culture is remarkable for its unique crafts, most of which, unfortunately, have not survived.

The Only Hatter of Yerevan

For almost 65 years Zhirayr Chitchyan or master Zhirayr has been creating hats for men in his workshop. He created hats for the half of the men in Yerevan. There were times when the hat had a great meaning for men. It was considered the honor of the man. Nowadays, mostly men above 50 wear hats. For Zhirayr, creating hats has no difficulty. It is his everyday job. The client comes, chooses the hat and Zhirayr sews it for him within 2 hours. In the past  there were many hatters in the city, but today master Zhirayr is the only hatter in Yerevan.

Daghdghan – the Unique Amulet

Dagdghans are amulets made of wood, which were widely used in everyday life of Armenians. They hung it on front doors and on jars in order to protect the goods from insects. There were also special daghdghans made for people and animals. For making daghdghans, people usually used the wood of special saint tree, called Daghdghan. The peculiarity of these amulets is that each of them has a unique design and is considered a work of art.

While making daghdghans, the craftsman should have only positive emotions and avoid negative thoughts as the feelings of the craftsman are transmitted to the one for whom the amulet is created.

Today, daghdghan masters are rare and mostly keep the details of their creations in secret.

Now daghdghans have lost their significance, otherwise they could become a unique symbol of Armenia.

Mushurba or the Gurgling Cup

Crafts in Armenia are very interesting and unusual. For example, the Gyumri Mushurba. The birthplace of the unusual “gurgling” cup called Mushurba is Gyumri. It is considered the most desired gift for the people of Gyumri. Mushurba is made of copper, silver and rarely from gold. The uniqueness of this cup is that when you drink from it the water makes gurgling sound, from which comes the name of the cup.

It takes a master 8 hours to make one mushurba. The secret of making mushurba is known only to the master Eduard Zhamkochyan. He is the only person in the world who makes mushurbas. To make mushurba, master Edik uses hummers that his ancestors brought from Kars.

Traditionally, craftsmen in Gyumri pass on their craft from generation to generation. They take their sons to their workshops and teach them their craft, as it is a family business. The tradition allows to pass the craft from father to son. That is why the family name was also closely related to the craft. Master Edik taught his son Suren the secrets of the art of making mushurba, and this secret continues to be passed down from generation to generation.

Rope Walking or Modern Slacklining

It is difficult to define whether rope walking is a craft, an art or just a part of culture, but whatever we call it, you will hardly meet rope walkers nowadays. There were times when the rope walker was the inseparable part of every traditional holiday, but now the rope walkers are found only in old films and stories. The rope walker danced on the rope tied between two pillars and his partner clown collected money from the audience and jumped around the rope walker.

Nowadays, the modern slacklining came to replace rope walking. Slacklining is a special type of sport that masters the abilities of walking on the rope tied between two pillars. Unlike rope walking, the slackline is less stretched, which creates a dynamic vibrating line.

Perhaps, modern slacklining will help keep the traditions of rope walking and make it more known among the youth.

Klayekagortsutyun – The Copper Tinning Craft

Klayekagorcutyun is the craft of tinning the copper objects. In the past people mostly used copper objects in their everyday life. To use these objects longer, they usually tinned them. Tinning is the coating of copper objects with tin to protect the surface from oxidation. In Armenia, the craftsmen who tinned the copper objects were called klekchi. Vaghinak Manukyan who lived in Etchmiadzin was the only one who knew about this craft in Armenia. For the master, his craft was the meaning of life, and the smell of the tin was a unique pleasure. Vaghinak passed on his knowledge to his sons in order to keep the ancient Armenian craft alive.

Crafts in Armenia have always been respected. Very often the name of the craft became the basis for the family name. However, with the development of technology, many crafts are now in danger of disappearing.

Even today people who master any craft have a unique place in the society and are rare bearers of their craft.

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