Once in a lifetime, we come across an exceptional project; the publication and exhibition of the Treasures of Western Armenia is such an undertaking.
Armenians living on their ancestral land for millennia faced a horrible fate at the turn of the 20th century. The expedition of the Imperial Academy in 1916, which was joined by Alexander A. Miller and his colleagues from the Museum of Ethnography, captured their rich heritage and traditions for posterity. Since then, the expedition journals and collection remained unpublished.
This volume is a tribute to the people of Western Armenia who were uprooted, as well as to Alexander Miller and his team who ventured into the war front to preserve their memory.
We congratulate and thank everyone involved in the realisation of this catalogue. We extend special thanks to the director of the Museum, Prof. Vladimir Grusman, and his curators for their collaboration and meticulous work.
The Armenian Jewellers Foundation (AJF) is committed to exploring and advancing the heritage of Armenians in the arts and crafts. On the centennial commemorative anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we dedicate this book to the survival, resilience and prosperity of the Armenian nation.