06:52, 30 January 2022

Exhibition in Makhachkala highlights rare technique of incising with gold

A plaquette with an epigraphic composition by Abdulgamid Kanaev, based on a stone relief of the Juma mosque in the village of Kubachi of the 15th century. January 28, 2022. Photo by Rasul Magomedov for the "Caucasian Knot"

The Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts hosts the exhibition of Abdulgamid Kanaev, a master jeweller from the Kubachi village, who works in the almost unused technique of incising with gold and silver. The exposition presents decorative panels, old lamps, and edged weapons, decorated by the master. Folk crafts are beginning to revive, but craftsmen need state support, Abdulgamid Kanaev notes.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that the art of Kubachi jewellers is in danger of disappearing, as young people leave their homes and are not engaged in traditional crafts.

Islamic calligraphic compositions give thanks and praise to Allah, says Alexander Sergeev, a curator of the exhibition.

The master took well-known calligraphic compositions from the past and ornamental medallions as the basis for his works.

Kubachi is a village in the Dakhadaevsky District of Dagestan, one of the largest centres in the Caucasus for artistic metal processing and stone and wood carving. Since the Middle Ages, the village is known for the manufacture of chain mails and weapons.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 29, 2022 at 04:05 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Rasul Magomedov

Source: Caucasian Knot