A unique Armenian carpet with horses from Artsakh-Karabakh
Depictions of a horse and a groom are frequent compositional elements on the carpets woven in the 19th-20th century in Artsakh mountainous regions of Armenia. The horse was perceived as a man's companion in everyday life and during wartime. During ceremonies and processions, the horse was decorated with leather belts, metal rosettes, pendants, bells, buckles, and jewelry studded with semi-precious stones. Such are the horses depicted on the carpets woven in Artsakh as an essential item in the dowry.The current wool carpet, woven in the early 1900s by the mother of Nina Arustamyan, a resident of Artsakh Berdashen village, was
A gauze with Nanjing brocade with images of rabbits and flowers
A product of Nanjing yunjin brocade, this is a fine piece of gauze dating back to the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Three rows of rabbits, chrysanthemums, and peonies have been woven into a yellow cloth. Some rabbits are depicted holding osmanthus, others bearing lingzhi fungi of immortality.The creative gauze is specified with orderly and rhythmic composition. It is one of the gems in the permanent collection of the Palace Museum.
A porcelain plaque with the image of Napoleon Bonaparte made in Wuhan, China
A porcelain plaque (c. 1920-1930) housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, possesses specific interest for researchers. Being decorated with an en grisaille image of Napoleon Bonaparte (1799–1804), emperor of France and one of the most celebrated personages in Western history, above his portrait, it bears a Chinese inscription in black: "French President Napoleon." On the lower left, an inscription reads to indicate that the plaque is decorated by Rongkang Porcelain Company in Hankou (a former city, now formed part of Wuhan), with a red seal below.It's worth mentioning that Chinese export porcelain was once the ultimate mark
3,000-year-old remains of female warriors discovered in Armenia
Society collapsed over three millennia ago across the Mediterranean and Near East. Previously stable dominant empires and civilizations were brought to their knees, entire languages disappeared, and what had been pastoral and nomadic communities were replaced with imposing and fortified citadels run by a paranoid elite.Life was violent and cruel. People were forced to take up arms to defend themselves and their kin. But while we’re used to the idea of men saddling up and waging war, a new paper published recently in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology has found the remains of two female warriors – horse-riding women who
Chinese artifacts with depictions of rabbits
Since 2023 is considered the Year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, ChinArmArt presents Chinese artifacts with rabbits' images, some combined with other auspicious zoomorphic motifs.A golden belt buckle, dating to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), is designed in the shape of a rabbit. Its tail extends backward to form a hook. Under the abdomen of the rabbit, there is a round knob. The buckle can be split in half and joined together by mortise and tenon. This adorable belt buckle is part of the permanent collection of the Nanjing Museum.Two rabbits are vividly portrayed
