On April 19 – 23, in Tashkent was held the International Exhibition “Jewelry-Land – 2002″.
The Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan, NNO “Zargarlar”, the Confederation of Jewelers of CIS countries, the Guild of Jewelers of Russia with support of the State Assay Office of the Committee on Precious Metals and Stones at the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan became founders of this Exhibition. UzTeleRadioCompany, journals “International Jewelry Europa Star” (Switzerland), international journal “Jewelry World” (Russia), journal- digest “Jewelry Review” (Russia), journal “San’at”, radio company “Grand” (Uzbekistan) rendered information support.
Representatives from 14 countries, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Byelorussia, Georgia, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Kirghistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Russia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Switzerland, took part in the Exhibition and Fashion Festival.
Intensive business program was a distinguishing peculiarity of “Jewelry – Land 2002″. The assembly of representatives of the Assay offices from CIS countries took special place in it. Persons of consequence from the Assay Offices of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kirghistan, Turkmenistan, Russia and Ukraine discussed a number of current problems being important for the assay control organizations. The III Congress of the CIS countries Confederation, having run in this period, also solved some vital issues of the International Union of Jewelers.
The seminar of Moscow Branch of the American Gemmalogical Academy gave the opportunity to all participants of this seminar to get certificates, which certified that they attended a number of interesting lecturers and have experience in the work on precious stones.
The word “Jewelry – Land”, which the author brought into use, is capacious and multifaceted term. It includes manufacturing of exclusive jewelry and mass production, jewelry business and mass media specializing in jewelry theme, the art of jewelry art expositions and arrangement of art-show for demonstration of jewelry.
The latest exhibition in Tashkent demonstrated full treasure of “Jewelry – Land”. Expositions of foreign participants presented pieces of their jewelry firms and companies. Russian jewelry companies, in particular “Almaz – Holding”, “Adamas”, “Likin”, Jewelry House “Kado”, specializing in precious stones processing, and others appeared as a strong team. The judges recognized the ring of Australian opal as “The Best Jewelry Piece of the Exhibition” and awarded a special diploma and prize “The Big Garnet”. The exposition of another Russian company “The Jewelry Theatre”, for its original design, was awarded a special diploma and prize as “The Best Exposition” of the Exhibition. From afar it attracted attention of visitors by small blue screen, behind which, as if in aquarium, on the spoon-bait the brooch “Dragon-fly” (authors F. Kuznetsov and I. Dorofeeva) was suspended. Beside it, on the original base the male pendant “Sea Hedgehog” decorated with black Tahitian pearls (author V. Naumov) was exposed.
The biggest Russian company “Almaz – Holding” exposed a rich variety of jewelry including the brooch “Splashes of Champagne” (author N. Komarov) scattered with diamonds; two brooches by N. Teplinskaya “Tulips” and “Snowdrops”; necklace by R. Bahlichov “Northern Star” decorated with precious stones and others.
The Union of Goldsmiths and Jewelers from Armenia once again exposed the plastics of small forms – the sculpture by A. Abadjan “Garnet”. The representative of the Union of Goldsmiths of Armenia, Artur Gyulnazaryan noted: “Our harvest of garnets is getting best and sweeter from year to year”. And now about the central section of the Exhibition – jewelry of Uzbekistan. It consisted of four expositions: from private jewelry salons, from jewelry plant NGMK of Zarafshan, from public organizations uniting folk craftsmen and, finally, the exposition presenting the creativity of jewelers-artists of Uzbekistan.
Jewelry plant NGMK of Zarafshan city took part in the Tashkent Exhibition the third time. It is pleased to point out the fact that this time the plant, specially for the Exhibition, manufactured several pieces including two brooches – “Butterfly” and “Scorpio” made of gold and decorated with precious stones approximately of 15 cm in size.
The enterprises integrating the national craftsmen of the republic were presented by PMNI “Ustozoda”, NPS “Musavvir” and the Association “Khunarmand” from Bukhara region. In the exposition of “Ustozada” the jewelry by Ravshan Mukhamedshin became remarkable. The copy of ancient tumor made of silver for the Kazan Museum attracted attention of experts and visitors. In this sample the jeweler demonstrated his skills and ability to create the finest arabesque pattern by means of filigree technology.
Along with other pieces of applied art being exposed by Association of “Khunarmand” from Bukhara region were noted jewelry pieces by S. Mukhamedov – bracelet “Dospana” and necklace “Topishi-dil”, in which the artist combined traditions of the Bukhara school and modern innovations.
Among the individual jewelers it is worth to be noted the oldest national craftsman from Margilan, A. Abdujabbarov having participated in the Exhibition the second time. His ear-rings, rings and necklaces reserved traditional forms, ornament, alternation of movable elements and assortment of stones. It is known, their art composition has been forming for centuries. As Abdukhamid-aka himself noted, such ear-rings were in use from the time of Uvaisi, and in the East ladies can appreciate the beauty. The Tashkent jeweler G. Yuldasheva also works in traditional manner. She prefers to materialize her ideas in gold. She presented the jewelry set “Uch kuza” (three jugs), ear-rings “Bodom”, following traditions of the Bukhara jewelry school, and others.
Besides the traditional style the jewelers from Uzbekistan demonstrated the modern design there too. G. Borkovskaya is one of the jewelers working in this style. She created several silver necklaces, in which she pointed a beauty of natural stones – malachite, opal and agate. The jeweler from Zarafshan, A. Levkovsky, on his own obtained skills in processing of stones and metals. The original transforming ring-casket brightened his exposition.
Precious and semi-precious stones by R. Djamaleddinov formed one more section of the Exhibition. As a geologist he knows much about stones. Presenting his collection he enthusiastically told visitors about stones. The visitors were especially interested in the stone with a pattern reminding Arabic letters. The cultural program of the Jewelry Exhibition was its another special feature. The international jewelry exhibitions, tradition of which came to us from the West, should be arranged like a show. Therefore, the prestigious jewelry exhibitions usually include in their program a defile, where models demonstrate diamonds and gold. Each day in the ground floor of the Central Exhibition Hall of the Academy of Arts the visitors could enjoy almost permanent demonstration of exclusive jewelry.
The International Fashion Festival in the music hall “Zarafshan” became the most attractive event in the cultural program. Guests and competitors from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan and four cities of Uzbekistan – Bukhara, Samarkand, Zarafshan and Tashkent- took part in it.
Musicians, singers and designers from Kirgizstan prepared for Tashkent their special program. For that “The Day of Kirghizstan” was provided in the exhibition schedule. One of the most famous designers of Kirghizstan, T. Vorotnikova, perfectly working in felt, arrived at Tashkent. The initiator of “The Day of Kirghizstan”, Z. Mukambetova, presented her exclusive collections.
In Tashkent “Miss Jewelry – Land” was nominated the first time. Ajar Appasova from Bishkek became happy prizewinner of “Diamond Diadem”. Victoria Ponomareva, a designer from the Bukhara Fashion Theatre “Ovation”, won the grand-prize of the festival in nomination of “Master”. The Fashion Festival enriched the cultural program of the Exhibition and created the atmosphere of holiday for all participants and guests.
In a word, the Exhibition “Jewelry – Land” can be compared with precious stone. As turning the stone you can see its new and new facets as analyzing this exposition you find various aspects of its significance and influence on the art culture of the republic. The Jewelry Exhibition holding in April demonstrated that Tashkent becomes a center of Central Asian jewelry art. And the variety of facets of “Lewelry – Land 2002″ gives significant evidence for it.
Author: Gulsara Babadjanova