Tatev Earrings

Carving from the Tatev Monastery, Armenia

This piece is inspired by the ornaments of the incredible 9th-century Tatev Monastery located in southeastern Armenia. It is said that the master who built the Tatev monastery, at the end of his work, asked for two wood shavings. Taking them, he prayed to God with the words, “Ogni Surb ta tev,” Armenian for “May the Holy Spirit send down wings.” After these words, he jumped into the abyss. In mid fall, wings grew behind his back and he flew away. The monastery was named in honor of this miracle – Tatev, which means “to provide wings.” In 1995, the monasteries of Tatev, Tatevi Anapat and their adjacent areas in the Vorotan Valley were nominated for placement on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.