Tajik jewelry-making, like any other form of cultural self-expression by the people, is an original art. Visitors to this Central Asian republic have always been attracted by the bright garments of the natives and the opulence of ornaments their women use. Russian jewelry designer Vitali Ivanov was similarly enchanted the first time he came there.

For several years  he has been living and working in Tajikistan, enamored with its ancient but ever flourishing national art and all these years scrupulously studying all aspects and secrets of its beauty. As somebody who had grown up so far away from these parts, he wanted to probe deep into the creative atmosphere of local craftsmen and to acquire if only a fraction of their skill. He traveled a lot all over the republic, gaining impressions and knowledge of the ethnic culture, all of which was to bear fruit later on.

Among his works are bracelets from the Anor (tajik “pomegranate”) set (filigree and grain in cupro-nickel set with corals and turquoise), a bracelet of hammered white metal, Tavk necklace from the same set (stamped and hammered cupro-nickel). They are not merely fashioned in imitation of folk handicrafts but form the artist’s original ideas promoted by the rich national traditions of this old craft and creatively rendered in metal. Modern artists and designers stand to gain from assimilating creatively the cultural and spiritual heritage of the past, because artistic traditions of jewelry- making embody invaluable experience in workmanship and the fruitful imagination of craftsmen of different nationalities and times.

The art of tajik metalwork is deeply rooted in the past, drawing on the national traditions and customs, and other countries.

Jewelry made by Vitali  Ivanov is quite diverse and includes earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings and diadems of variegated ornamentation. Ornamental elements rarely repeat themselves, and the jeweler displays a masterful command and different types of metalwork, now employing forging, now casting or stamping. His artistic taste is manifest in the way he delicately garnishes metal with coral and turquoise.

He is brimming with plans, one if which was to  try and “re-create” extinct sets of Tajik national adornments characteristic of different regions of the republic. In the past century every individual craftsmen usually specialized in some particular ornament, whereas Ivanov consciously undertakes to produce whole sets to go with a particular garment, taking into consideration the wear’s age or making jewelry for some special occasion. For instance, one such set is called the Wedding set. He prefers to exhibit his jewelry together with pieces of folkstyle clothes produced by tajik fashion designers. In his opinion this is the only way, perhaps he has a point there. There is no denying the fact that accessories do acquire their ambiance when viewed together with clothes. Conversely, at times fascinating works by modern jewelers lose some of their charm when displayed in shop-windows or on mounts.

The designer spends a vast amount of  time drawing sketches, then himself translates them into metal ­ cupro-nickel, using colored glass, pastes and gems (turquoise and coral) for decorations, and produces in this way a consummate artistic image. He knows and always bears in mind the fact that in the old times every adornment also had some magic meaning, still preserved in poetic names sometimes attributed to pieces of jewelry, e.g., koshi tillo-golden eyebrows or mokhi nav - a young moon an so on. In keeping with the old custom, Ivanov gives his jewelry poetic names, like for a example Anor (pomegranate - the symbol of fertility). The set consists of several bracelets and a massive necklace, which has a harmonious look due to its flowing lines, clever proportions and a well-balanced color scheme. An Oriental saying has it, “As long as at least one woman is alive the jeweler’s art will live on.”

Many people fled from the country during the war that began in 1990. Due to this circumstance it is unknown to me where Vitali Ivanov lives now, may be not far from Moscow,  but I wish him all the best.                                                                                                                     

Antiquity Reborn
The edges of the mountain tops have merged with the blue sky; a swift brook is babbling somewhere nearby. Suddenly, a wooden idol - the sculpture of a mountain spirit - seems to rise up out of the ground among the lush green grasses and gaily-colored flowers. It fits majestically into a landscape of the Varzob Gorge in Tajikistan. The idol is one the best works by Ubaidullo Rajabov, a well-known sculptor. His artistic path was rather complicated: initially he worked in marble, carving fantastic animals and heroes from Oriental epos out this noble material. He often depicted them schematically, in an abstract manner. Thus in Rajabov’s very first works a grotesque style was taking shape, based on Sogda, the ancient national art that has absorbed the tradition of Oriental culture. The Tajik sculptor has taken part in number of national and republican exhibitions. Having graduated from art school with a diploma a design, he occasionally tests his strength in this field. But stone remains his favorite material. Rajabov began working in wood later. His wooden works can be seen on many playgrounds in Dushanbe (capital of Tajikistan)

Rajabov’s smaller sculptures are also famous. Alongside well-known materials he employs shamot - a mixture of glue, cement, and sand. Some of his new works which have been acclaimed at many exhibitions, such as “The elements,” “Happiness,” “A Cotton-Grover, “” Folk games,” are made out of this material. The sculpture “The Elements” is a grotesque male figure, made up of numerous broken lines, deep holes, huge, deliberately disproportionate limbs - all of this is meant to express the horror of the natural disasters - floods, earthquakes, mud flows - so common in this mountain region, war?!

“Happiness” is the exact opposite of “The Elements”: it depicts an old man, his hands raised toward the sky in gratitude for his happiness. He is surrounded by children, a symbol of happiness, who seem to be trying to grab hold his grey beard. The composition expresses an idea, common in the Orient: a family with many children is always happy. Smooth, downward flowing lines seem to connect the old man and his grandchildren, asserting the elementary of life.

Rajabov’s “Cotton-Grower” is also symbolic. Cotton is the main wealth of the Tajik republic, so it is not for nothing that the sculptor placed the cotton-grower’s hands in the center, schematically depicting a cotton bush. These hands hold the “white wonder” tenderly and carefully.

And then, another figure - shaitan, the Oriental evil spirit, sitting on the ground cross-legged, in the Eastern manner. He holds a piece of fruit in his hands, has an enormous nose, large eyes, long arms and long fingers. But the shaitan’s broad smile is so friendly that all those who look at him begin to feel friendly toward him too. The whole image, his unusual shape is obviously intended to remind of the view of the “snow man” who excites the mind and senses of people now days.

Sculpture is a very ancient art. Bits and pieces of figurines made during the Neolithic Era are found from time to time in Central Asia. The deities were first mostly female incarnations with disproportionate bodies who personified fertility and motherhood. While following ancient traditions, the young artist finds a multitude of ways to express his ideas in his figurines, using new materials while at the same time creating monumental sculptures out of wood.