The National Museum of History presents the exquisite jewellery craftsmanship of the Chiprovtsi goldsmiths in “The Palace” – Balchik

Today, 01.08.2022, in the Stone Hall of the Architectural and Park Complex “The Palace” – Plovdiv. Balchik was officially opened the exhibition of the National History Museum “Objects of splendor. Chiprovtsi Goldsmith School”. Traditionally, during the summer months, the NIM visits the town of Balchik and presents to the residents and guests of the beautiful Black Sea town archaeological finds and impressive artifacts, part of the treasury of the largest museum institution in the country.

The present exhibition includes most of the works of the Chiprovo goldsmith school, owned and preserved by the National History Museum. Most of them are accidental finds from Northwest Bulgaria, hidden away as treasures and never sought by the fleeing inhabitants of the region from the dramatic events of the late 17th century. The objects on display are predominantly secular in nature. All known types of jewellery, skillfully made in local goldsmiths’ workshops, are on display. Particularly characteristic are the ‘arpalii’ earrings, the earrings with silver plates ‘trepki’, the richly decorated ‘kubelii’ bracelets and, of course, the forehead ornaments – bridal wreaths and brooches.

The famous “Chiprovtsi goblets” – goblets decorated in a characteristic style, including rich floral ornaments and relief and volumetric images of animals and birds, are also part of the treasures presented in the exhibition. The exquisite cups shaped like craters with handles shaped like the heads of dragons are known only from the region of north-western Bulgaria and eastern Serbia, which convincingly speaks of their belonging to the Chiprovo School. In the second half of the 16th century, the so-called “Chiprovtsi cups” – silver goblets, many of which bear the designation “from the place of Chiprovtsi” as a guarantee of quality – appeared in the account books of a number of Dubrovnik merchants.

At the end of the exhibition is presented a copy of the gold treasure from Nessebar, dated in the second half of the 16th – early 17th century. Its characteristics refer it to the production of Central and Western European goldsmithing. Its exposure together with the works of the Chiprovo goldsmith school is not accidental. It allows visitors to get a visual idea of the typical style of the Chiprovtsy, in comparison with products of different geographical and stylistic origin.

The works of the goldsmiths of Chiprovo are extremely diverse – both ecclesiastical and secular products. The already mentioned “Chiprovo cups” were ordered and traded throughout the Balkan Peninsula. In terms of the artistic repertoire, the Chiprovtsy goldsmiths worked within the late medieval Byzantine-Balkan tradition. However, in their characteristic and recognisable style they skilfully weave elements drawn from the West and the East – Turkish-Persian ornaments in the “rumi” style, miniature late Gothic architectural details, lavish Baroque motifs. Their work betrays a mastery of jewellery techniques: hammered relief, filigree and granulation, engraving and tessellation, nelo technique, openwork, mercury gilding and silvering, inlay, filigree and embedded enamel with dark blue and green glass.

The exhibition “Objects of Splendour. Chiprovtsi Goldsmith School” can be seen by the residents and guests of the town. Balchik until 13.09.2022.