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PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net
December 6, 2013
___________________
Textile Wealth in Miniature
By Florence Avakian
A family portrait is something to treasure, especially if it is centuries
old. And if the portrait is a rare glimpse into history, the value is
priceless.
On Tuesday evening, November 12, the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information
Center of the Eastern Diocese presented a unique lecture on the family
portrait of King Gagik-Abas of Kars, by artist and scholar Hazel Antaramian
Hofman. The speaker was introduced by the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan,
director of the Zohrab Center and professor of Liturgical Studies at St.
Nersess Armenian Seminary.
Hazel Antaramian Hofman began her talk by pointing out that the
eleventh-century miniature family portrait of King Gagik-Abas is the "only
known Armenian painting of a Bagratuni dynastic family."
The image has been interpreted as indicating the rank and status of the
figures, she said, adding that her analysis emphasizes the "sumptuous
textiles and the intriguing composition and placement" of the female
figures-the queen and daughter, who represent "dowry wealth and matrilineal
inheritance."
The opulence of the textiles, she continued, represent dynastic wealth in an
effort to support the central figure, the young daughter, Princess Marem,
"within the socio-political context" of the region's medieval life. Since
the daughter was the only heir of Greater Armenia's last Bagratuni king, she
was to inherit the dynastic line from her father at a time when the kingdom
was threatened by Seljuk invasions and Byzantine land annexation laws.
A tumultuous period
The scholar related that this family image was created during the tumultuous
time of the Bagratuni period. "I suggest that the miniature painting reveals
the family's response to the hostile situation of regional politics for
Armenian nobles in their homeland," she explained.
During this time, marital alliances between Armenian nobles were common, and
there were intermarriages between Armenian and non-Armenian dynastic
families. "Showing dynastic lineage and textile wealth in the image was a
credible way to secure a future for Princess Marem through marital
arrangements," she said.
Hazel Antaramian Hofman was born in Soviet Armenia and came at age five to
the United States with her family. She has delved into several specialties,
including receiving an undergraduate degree in the sciences (chemistry and
biology), a master's in environmental science, a master's in art and design
from Fresno State University, and an associate degree in fashion design and
illustration. For several years, she worked as an illustrator for Los
Angeles companies in advertising, as well as more than 10 years in the
environmental field.
As a gifted artist, she has taken part in several group and solo
exhibitions. Her latest scholarly work focuses on the repatriation of
Armenians to Soviet Armenia after World War II.
###
Image attached: This 11th-century illumination depicts the Bagratuni royal
family.
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net
December 6, 2013
___________________
Textile Wealth in Miniature
By Florence Avakian
A family portrait is something to treasure, especially if it is centuries
old. And if the portrait is a rare glimpse into history, the value is
priceless.
On Tuesday evening, November 12, the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information
Center of the Eastern Diocese presented a unique lecture on the family
portrait of King Gagik-Abas of Kars, by artist and scholar Hazel Antaramian
Hofman. The speaker was introduced by the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan,
director of the Zohrab Center and professor of Liturgical Studies at St.
Nersess Armenian Seminary.
Hazel Antaramian Hofman began her talk by pointing out that the
eleventh-century miniature family portrait of King Gagik-Abas is the "only
known Armenian painting of a Bagratuni dynastic family."
The image has been interpreted as indicating the rank and status of the
figures, she said, adding that her analysis emphasizes the "sumptuous
textiles and the intriguing composition and placement" of the female
figures-the queen and daughter, who represent "dowry wealth and matrilineal
inheritance."
The opulence of the textiles, she continued, represent dynastic wealth in an
effort to support the central figure, the young daughter, Princess Marem,
"within the socio-political context" of the region's medieval life. Since
the daughter was the only heir of Greater Armenia's last Bagratuni king, she
was to inherit the dynastic line from her father at a time when the kingdom
was threatened by Seljuk invasions and Byzantine land annexation laws.
A tumultuous period
The scholar related that this family image was created during the tumultuous
time of the Bagratuni period. "I suggest that the miniature painting reveals
the family's response to the hostile situation of regional politics for
Armenian nobles in their homeland," she explained.
During this time, marital alliances between Armenian nobles were common, and
there were intermarriages between Armenian and non-Armenian dynastic
families. "Showing dynastic lineage and textile wealth in the image was a
credible way to secure a future for Princess Marem through marital
arrangements," she said.
Hazel Antaramian Hofman was born in Soviet Armenia and came at age five to
the United States with her family. She has delved into several specialties,
including receiving an undergraduate degree in the sciences (chemistry and
biology), a master's in environmental science, a master's in art and design
from Fresno State University, and an associate degree in fashion design and
illustration. For several years, she worked as an illustrator for Los
Angeles companies in advertising, as well as more than 10 years in the
environmental field.
As a gifted artist, she has taken part in several group and solo
exhibitions. Her latest scholarly work focuses on the repatriation of
Armenians to Soviet Armenia after World War II.
###
Image attached: This 11th-century illumination depicts the Bagratuni royal
family.