The Michael C. Carlos Museum celebrates the arrival of the Shubin collection of gems to Emory University with activities led by Britain’s most distinguished scholar of Greek art, John Boardman, and master gem carver, Chavdar Chushev. Lectures and classes will take place from September 11, 2009 to September 20, 2009.
• On September 11 at 7 p.m. Boardman discusses Greeks, Persians, and gems in the Carlos Museum’s reception hall.
• From September 12 to September 20 at 12:00 a.m. Chushev will demonstrate ancient gem-carving techniques, teach two all-day classes in which students will carve their own gemstones, and participate in a series of lectures and panel discussions on ancient gemstones and carving techniques.
Master gem-carver Chushev comes to the Carlos Museum after a three-month residency at the Getty Villa. Over the eight-day period Mr. Chushev, a native of Bulgaria, will demonstrate ancient gem-carving techniques, teach two all-day classes in which students will carve their own gemstones, and participate in a series of lectures and panel discussions on ancient gemstones and carving techniques. Mr. Chushev’s residency is made possible by the Andrew W. Mellon Classroom Connections Program, Eleanor Ridley, and Emory’s Program in Ancient Mediterranean Studies.
Boardman, Lincoln Professor Emeritus of Classical Archaeology and Art at Oxford University, received the Kenyon Medal for Classical Studies in 1995. He was awarded the Onassis Prize for Humanities in 2009. He has carried out archaeological excavations at many sites, including in Smyrna, Crete, and Chios in Greece and at Tocra in Libya. His voluminous publications focus primarily on the art and architecture of ancient Greece, and in particular on sculpture and vase-painting. Boardman’s lecture is the John Laszlo, M.D., Excalibur Lecture which was established through the generosity of Dr. Laszlo’s family and friends in honor of his retirement from the American Cancer Society. Additional support for this event has been provided by Jeanette and Jonathan Rosen, the Andrew W. Mellon Classroom Connections Program, and Emory University’s Program in Mediterranean Studies.
The Shubin collection of gems numbers approximately four hundred objects and is among the most extensive private collections. Included in the collection are some of the earliest seals known from Mesopotamia. These gems were carved throughout the Mediterranean basin from ancient Greece to Roman times and beyond, to Persia, and even to China.
RELATED EVENTS:
Friday, September 11
Laszlo-Excalibur Lecture
7:00 pm
Reception Hall
Sir John Boardman, Lincoln Professor Emeritus of Classical Archaeology and Art at Oxford University, and Britain’s most distinguished scholar of Greek art discusses Greeks, Persians, and Gems
The John Laszlo, M.D., Excalibur Lecture was established through the generosity of Dr. Laszlo’s family and friends in honor of his retirement from the American Cancer Society.
Additional support for this event has been provided by Jeanette and Jonathan Rosen, the Andrew W. Mellon Classroom Connections Program, and Emory University’s Program in Mediterranean Studies.
Saturday, September 12 - Sunday, September 20
Artist-in Residence
12:00 am
Reception Hall
Master gem-carver Chavdar Chushev comes to the Carlos after a three-month residency at the Getty Villa. Over the eight-day period Mr. Chushev, a native of Bulgaria, will demonstrate ancient gem-carving techniques, teach two all-day classes in which students will carve their own gemstones, and participate in a series of lectures and panel discussions on ancient gemstones and carving techniques. Mr. Chushev’s residency is made possible by the Andrew W. Mellon Classroom Connections Program, Eleanor Ridley, and Emory’s Program in Ancient Mediterranean Studies.
Saturday, September 12
Master Gem-Carver, Chavdar Chushev
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Reception Hall
Master gem-carver Chavdar Chushev will lead a day long class in which participants will carve a gemstone working with tools and techniques based on ancient models. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Fee: $50 for Museum members; $75 for non-members. Course repeats on Sunday, September 20.
Sunday, September 13
Artist-at-work
2:00 am - 4:00 pm
Reception Hall
Drop in to watch visiting artist Chavdar Chushev demonstrate ancient gem-carving techniques.
Monday, September 14
Evolution of Gemstones
7:00 pm
Reception Hall
Master gem-carver Chavdar Chushev, Emory geologist Dr. William Size, and Fred Gray of Richters of Atlanta, discuss the evolution of gemstones, from their geologic formation in a particular geographic region, to characteristics that artists looked for in a stone, to the carving process.
Tuesday, September 15
Artist-at-work
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Reception Hall
Drop in to watch visiting artist Chavdar Chushev demonstrate ancient gem carving techniques.
Wednesday, September 16
Gems in Antiquity Workshop for Teachers
5:00 pm
Reception Hall
Jasper Gaunt, Curator of Greek and Roman Art, will talk about the gems in the Carlos Museum, their use as seals, in elite jewelry, and as objects of art. Chavdar Chushev, master gem-carver, will demonstrate and discuss the steps in the gem-carving process. Teachers will be able to examine gems in various stages of the engraving process, and make an impression. Fee: $7 for Carlos Museum members, $10 for non-members.
Thursday, September 17
Lecture
7:00 pm
Reception Hall
In a lecture titled Glyptica: The Art of Sculpting Precious Gems, master gem-engraver Chavdar Chushev reveals techniques used since the dawn of civilization for sculpting in the hardest gemstones known to man.
Saturday, September 19
Artist-at-work
2:00 am - 4:00 pm
Reception Hall
Drop in to watch visiting artist Chavdar Chushev demonstrate ancient gem-carving techniques.
Sunday, September 20
Gem-Carving Class
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Reception Hall
Master gem-carver Chavdar Chushev will lead a day long class in which participants will carve a gemstone working with tools and techniques based on ancient models. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Fee: $50 for Museum members; $75 for non-members.
