Armenian/Russian
Cigarette Case, c. 1908-1926
875 silver
Notes: A Russian hallmarked cigarette case depicting the precarious state of Armenia during the era of the Armenian genocide. It posits that Armenia is a monolith at the base of Mt Ararat that shall not be destroyed and will break its chains and rise up against the Soviets and Ottomans. It’s WWI/Post-WWI timeframe places it during a time of great upheavel with local discord being the Young Turk Revelotion, Russian Revolution and the Armenian genocide.
The depicted environment reinforced evidence of humans at this geographic location dating well into pre-history, a full representation during antiquity and consistent involvement in world affairs into modern times. Its current boundaries are officially referred to as the Republic of Armenia and it is situated at the hub of Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Nakhchivan.
The tableau depicts a woman and man situated at the base of a khachkar and surrounded by graves, lyre, debris, and fallen columns. The woman raises her right fist in the air towards an eagle that has broken its chains and is flying over Greater and Little Ararat towards the right, and the man holds a dagger in his right hand with the left outstretched. Death is seen in the right-hand sky holding its sicle over an advancing Soviet army. In the lower left, directly below the eagle is a book open to a page with Armenian script.
