Georgia’s golden legacy – revitalizing a rich history of metalwork and enameling
Entering the archaeological treasury room in the basement of the Georgian national museum reveals the stunning metallic history of Georgia – filled with the glittering gold of Colchian jewelry alongside silver and precious stones dating from pre-Christian eras. Metalwork in Georgia dates back to the 3rd millennium BC, with different eras showing a diverse range of skills and influences. Enameling in particular has played an important role in Georgian history, entwined closely with the church. This distinctive craft had fallen out of fashion, but a new generation of metalworkers are working to bring it back to the fore in Georgia and abroad.
The land of Colchis was located in what is now western Georgia; it once stretched along the eastern coast of the Black Sea. Colchis existed from 13th to the 1st century BC and is widely believed to be where Jason and the Argonauts found their mythic golden fleece. Whether Jason set foot in this part of the world on his journey remains unproven, but the region was certainly home to a rich metalwork tradition. It supplied a variety of exports to the Hellenic states, and their trading history is visible today in the range of products and coins on display at the Vani Archeological Museum in Georgia’s western Imereti region. Their most famous export is their metal work, the remains of which emerged from excavations begun by Georgia’s first female archaeologist, Nino Khoshtaria, and continued by Otar Lordkipanidze in the 1960s. Thanks to their efforts, the display cases in the Vani Archeological Museum and Georgian National Museum are filled with magnificent jewelry and funerary decorations.
Since the beautifully wrought work produced by smiths in Colchis, metalwork has continued to evolve in Georgia. Cloisonné enameling is the most popular enameling technique in the country with its own name – minankari, in Georgian. This technique consists of laying thin strips of silver, gold, or copper out on a metal surface to create a pattern with lines and partitions. According to Director of the Heritage Crafts Association Anna Shanshiasvili, local iterations of this technique are “sometimes in gold, but it’s very expensive,” so most designs are created using silver. The metal partitions are then filled with powdered, colored glass and fired at a high heat to create a final, smooth design. Each piece must be painstakingly laid out and filled by hand in this labor-intensive artform that produces beautifully bright and incredibly detailed work. “Cloisonné enamel is one of the more intricate and more time consuming techniques, compared to other types of enamel that are easier to make,” explains Shanshiashvili, “and therefore it is often expensive.”
Enamelling had its heyday in medieval Byzantium and Georgia absorbed many of these traditions, albeit adapted to local tastes. Cloisonné enamel in Georgia is historically linked with religion and has a history that dates back at least twelve hundred years. Many works from this early period featured icons or were created to adorn religious objects, and most that exist today were held in churches and monasteries. Although enameling largely died out in Georgia in the 15th century, it experienced a resurgence in the 20th century.
The gallery Ornament – the first dedicated to enamel – was established by Tea Gurgenidze with Marina and Khatuna Babunashvili in 2000 to celebrate the artists reviving the ancient tradition. Since then, the tradition has continued to grow as more artists pick up the technique and Georgian enamel artists exhibit their work internationally; recent shows include the 10th International Vilnius Biennial of Enamel Art in April 2024.
The silver enamel market is predicted to see considerable growth in the coming years, according to MarkWide research that anticipates market value to reach $1.3 billion by 3031. Silver jewelry is also experiencing significant growth, according to research done by the World Silver Survey in 2023. The report from the Silver Institute highlighted a 29% increase of silver jewelry production last year, reaching 7,280 tons of the metal. This was the highest level of production registered since the survey’s inception in 2010.
Although supply chains were negatively impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, silver jewelry is seeing a resurgence of interest. This interest is driven by a variety of factors, including the affordability of this metal, compared to gold, which makes it a more accessible option to cost-conscious consumers. With the wellness trend still booming, the antimicrobial properties of silver also give it a special appeal to customers looking for health and wellness benefits. Because it is also a recyclable metal, companies are leveraging sustainable practices to recover and reuse silver, which makes it an attractive option for buyers looking for more environmentally friendly jewelry.
In Georgia, the appeal of this jewelry is also its unusual style. “Cloisonne enamel is still very appealing to international visitors,” says Shanshiashvili “Georgia has a distinct tradition, so I think it’s appealing because it looks unusual. When visitors come to Georgia and see it, I think they like it because they can’t find anything like it in their own countries.”
Meet the makers
Davit Kakabadze is an enamel designer and creator based in Tbilisi who owns the self-titled company David Kakabadze Enamel, Jewelry, and Watches. His workshop employs over twenty people to create delicate handmade pieces that range from religious icons to jewelry. This is a family business, with both Davit and his wife designing and working in the workshop. There are a range of pieces on display in their light-filled shop at 7 Bambis Rigi Street in old Tbilisi. The shop is open from 11:00 to 19:00 during the week, 11:00 to 18:00 on Saturday, and 12:00 to 18:00 on Sunday. Alternatively you can check their website to see available pieces.
Mariam Ninikashvili is the descendent of metalworkers and has been making her own modern designs of enamel jewelry for over nine years. She creates small pieces from pendants to earrings often inspired by traditional Georgian designs, as well as incorporating a more modern influence to produce appealing tiny unicorns and angels. Her jewelry is available for sale in the EthnoDesign shop at 23 Giorgi Akhvlediani Street, which is open 11:00 to 20:00 every day, and online via her Etsy shop.
Ikorta Enamel Jewelry is a social enterprise for internally displaced women based in the Tserovani Refugee Camp. Ikorta creates modern and traditional jewelry designs featuring floral motifs like poppies and pomegranates as well as brightly-coloured geometric patterns that are elements drawn from their cultural heritage. As well as selling jewelry, they run workshops open to the public at their workshop in Tserovani. Their jewelry is available for purchase via their social media pages and at the Eski Social Concept Store in Tbilisi, located at 7 Nato Vachnadze Street and open 10:00 to 20:00 every day.