Armenia

Armenia: Art, Religion, and Trade in the Middle Ages, edited by Helen C Evans, 302 pages

For millennia, Armenia sat astride the major trade routes connecting the Mediterranean world with Persia and East Asia.  Although often under foreign political domination, a distinctive Armenian faith and culture flourished which preserved the unique identity of the people even as they incorporated influences from both East and West.  This catalogue of an exhibition staged by the Metropolitan Museum of Art explores the art of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora from the 5th century to the 17th.  Particularly striking are the examples of illuminated books and intricately decorated memorial stones called khachkars, although the highlight is a spectacular carved monastery door.