Whimsical Marginalia in a 17th-Century Armenian Manuscript: Reassessing Child Authorship Through Artistic Tradition
The Wellcome Collection—a London-based museum and library that explores health and human experience through its holdings of rare books and artworks—recently featured marginal drawings from MS Armenian 15, a 17th-century Armenian book of sermons, tentatively attributing them to children. This interpretation cites their ostensibly naïve features: exaggerated proportions, irregular halos, and schematic figures ("tube-shaped" bodies, "stick-fingers," and "muddled-up faces"). While child interaction with manuscripts is historically attested, this attribution warrants scrutiny against Armenian artistic traditions, workshop practices, and the manuscript’s 17th-century context—an era of experimentation in Armenian illumination.The Armenia Minor and Vaspurakan schools employed deliberate distortion, grotesquerie, and irony in
Chinese Embassy Representatives Visit Kapan, Armenia
On June 19, Gevorg Parsyan, the head of Kapan community, received An Qian, the military attaché of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Armenia, and his delegation, which included attaché Zhang Qinmin, advisor Wang Jintao, and first and second secretaries. The community leader welcomed the guests and highly appreciated the ongoing cooperation, sharing details of his recent visit to Ningbo. He noted that after their previous meeting, relations between Kapan and Ningbo had entered a new phase, with substantive processes underway, and thanked the military attaché for his efforts in restoring friendly ties between the two cities.During
Armenia to Host 2026 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, the World’s Prestigious Wine Competition, Following Announcement in China
Armenia has been chosen to host the 2026 edition of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB), one of the most prestigious and influential international wine competitions. The announcement was made during the CMB 2025 event in Yinchuan, China, where Armenian delegates participated in the traditional flag-exchange ceremony, officially marking Armenia as the next host country. Established over 30 years ago, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is a globally recognized benchmark in wine excellence, annually gathering more than 370 expert judges to evaluate nearly 7,500 wines from 49 countries. Previous host nations include leading wine-producing countries such as France, Italy, Spain,
Armenian students celebrate their cultural heritage at Nanjing University’s annual prestigious international festival in China
In early May 2025, Armenian students from Nanjing University proudly represented their homeland at the institution's annual International Festival. Adorned in exquisite traditional costumes from the ChinArmArt collection, they transformed their national booth into an immersive cultural showcase that drew considerable attention.The Armenian exhibit distinguished itself through multiple engaging elements. Visitors experienced interactive cultural games, examined handcrafted traditional accessories, and sampled authentic Armenian specialties, including fine wines and delicate pastries. This multisensory presentation offered attendees a comprehensive introduction to Armenia's rich historical and artistic heritage.This participation continues a proud tradition of cultural ambassadorship. Armenian students in Nanjing, China's historic southern
The Armenian student from Nanjing University, China, showcased the Armenian taraz at the Young Leaders Sustainability Week in Tashkent
Mane Vardanian, an Armenian student at Nanjing University, represented both her homeland and academic institution with distinction during the Young Leaders Sustainability Week held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from April 23 to 26, 2025. This prestigious forum, co-organized by the International Institute of Meta Professionals, an affiliate of UNESCO, and Tashkent State Agrarian University, brought together emerging leaders from over 30 countries to promote the UN Sustainable Development Goals.During the event, Vardanian delivered a speech on climate action and presented innovative approaches to sustainable development, drawing on her research at Nanjing University.One of the highlights of the cultural dinner was Vardanian's
