An exhibition called "Living Encyclopedia" opened in the Baku-based Natavan Gallery .
Azerbaijan's vintage costumes, original clothes, and samples of copper art belonging to the beginning of 19th century were presented from the personal collections of the gallery director Natavan Aliyeva, as well as artists Ruslan Huseynov and Fuad Jabrayilov.
Due to the fact that the exhibition was held on the Last Tuesday before the Novruz Holiday, sweets such as shakarbura, baklava, and dried fruits were laid out in antique copper dishes to bring an original and unusual element of entertainment. The guests were able to try the baklava on a plate that is more than a hundred years old.
The guests were delighted with the Azerbaijani national costumes and thier beautiful patterns, embroidery, and original decoration. Clothes made of velvet attracted the attention of women like a magnet, and they tried to touch them.
The exhibition was a place for showcasing three vintage sewing machines manufactured by German firms "Singer" and "Miller", of which the organizers have done a small play. One of them looked like a tailor shop area.
As designer Natavan Aliyeva put it, the main purpose of the exhibition is presenting the audience with samples of Azerbaijani arts and crafts, rich culture, customs, and traditions.
"This is quite a large collection," she said. "We decided to hold an original exhibition, so that people walking around the Old City could drop in at our gallery, and not only see, but also understand how rich our country's culture, customs, traditions and historical events are. We wanted to remind our fellow citizens of our priceless heritage. Indeed, every costume features incredibly vivid colors, and a national flavor. Masters of those times were not highly educated, they did not have a computer or the Internet, but they were so close to nature that they felt the colors and textures that are very rich. So every time they create something new, we go back to the old days; to the roots."
Those, who had not visited the exposition yet should not lose hope, because it will run until the end of March, so that everyone will be able to look through the pages of the Azerbaijani history.
ANN.Az
