Ashkhen Towel

This was a very special commissioned piece of a beautiful Armenian-American young lady named Ashkhen, who is named after one of the queens of Armenia (287-330 AD). To create the drawing, I researched costuming of that time. I also imagined what would have been worn by the queen of a country, namely Armenia, that was situated on the Great Silk Road and functioned as a key trade link between East and West, from China to Rome. According to historical records, one of the most famous international fairs of Chinese silk products took place in Dvin, the early-medieval capital of Armenia. The background was inspired by patterning that adorns books found in the Matenadaran (the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, in Yerevan, Armenia). I added the pomegranate icons, which are symbols of fertility and prosperity.