MomiqueES

Church maquettes · family workshop, Yerevan

Heritage: Armenian church maquettes

Samvel Hakobyan, People's Master of Armenia, has spent more than forty years building maquettes of Armenian churches. There are more than thirty: some carved in tufa, the same volcanic stone as the churches; others in silver and gold, with obsidian, agate, onyx and mother of pearl.

The tufa maquettes are built at 1:50 scale, stone by stone, with full interiors. Many recreate churches that are ruined or at risk: almost half of the 24,000 historic buildings registered in Armenia need urgent repair, according to Samvel Karapetyan's “Armenian Architecture” research group.

The same workshop made silver cups, goblets and fruit bowls set with stones. It is where Momik learned, and the workshop that casts Momique pieces today.

Maker
Samvel Hakobyan and the family workshop
Body of work
30+ maquettes over 40 years
Materials
Tufa; silver, gold plating, natural stones
Status
Collection pieces. Not sold on this site.
Inside the tufa maquette of Zvartnots Cathedral: arcades, a chandelier and rays of light.

Tufa maquettes

1:50 scale, with full interiors and silver figures.

Surp Arakelots, Ani (11th c.). 1:50 maquette in black tufa, 60 × 60 × 73 cm.
Horomos. Maquette in progress.

Precious-metal maquettes

Gold-plated silver, obsidian columns, onyx bases.

Maquette of the Garni temple with a gilded roof, black obsidian columns and silver figures.

Garni

Work by Samvel Hakobyan

Silver objects

Cups and goblets set with stones, made in the family workshop.

Credits: Work by Samvel Hakobyan and the family workshop, “Armenian Church Maquettes” NGO, Yerevan. Images shown with permission.

An institution, a church or a collector? Large-object commissions are considered case by case. Trade and collaborations

Momik’s jewellery