Lai Afong – one of the most prolific Chinese photographers of his era
Lai Afong (黎芳 or 賴阿芳, c. 1838 or 1839 – 1890) is considered to be a pre-eminent nineteenth-century Chinese photographer and the founder of the most successful photographic studio in the late Qing Dynasty.Lai Afong's subjects ranged from portraits and
The Armenian vordan karmir – sought-after crimson carmine pigment
The Armenian cochineal (Porphyrophora hamelii), also known as the Ararat cochineal or Ararat scale, is a scale insect indigenous to the Ararat plain and Araks River valley in the Armenian Highlands. It was formerly used to produce an eponymous crimson
The Mexican chocolate jar inspired by Chinese porcelain
The chocolate jar, made in Mexico and housed at the Art Institute of Chicago, resembles Chinese blue-and-white porcelain samples. Called "Talavera poblana," this style of tin-glazed earthenware has been made in the central Mexican town of Puebla since the 16th
Shaping the image of Mother Armenia: Mher Abeghian
The People's Artist of Armenian SSR Mher Abeghian (1909-1994) was born in Vagharshapat, nowadays Etchmiadzin. He received his artistic education in Yerevan, Moscow, and Leningrad. Abeghian expressed his emotions, thoughts, and ideas in the landscape, portraiture, still life, and genre art
The cultural gem of the Silk Road: Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, China
Carved into the cliffs above the Dachuan River, the Mogao Caves southeast of the Dunhuang oasis, Gansu Province, comprise the largest, most richly endowed, and most extended used treasure house of Buddhist art in the world.Four hundred ninety-two caves are
A sacred and mysterious site in Armenia- Lastiver caves
Lastiver caves of the Armenian Tavush province are located in a picturesque gorge, drowning in lush green dense forests, near the village of Yenokavan, 130 km away from Yerevan.The main cave of Lastiver is located in a valley at an
