“The Jewish antique dealer who sold it to him had said such pieces were quite rare because they had been so hard to manufacture. Carved from walnut trees on the Aegean Islands, then adorned with tiny drawers and secret compartments like a fine piece of embroidery. Despite the delicacy of its adornment, the desk was so durable it could last several lifetimes. “This desk will outlive you and even your children!” The dealer had guffawed, as if his merchandise outliving his customers was a standing joke with him. “Isn’t it sublime that a piece of wood lives longer than us?” Though he knew the remark was meant to demonstrate the quality of the merchandise, Hovhannes Stamboulian had felt a pang of sadness. Even so, he had bought the desk. Along with it, he had also purchased a brooch from the same store—a graceful brooch in the shape of a pomegranate, delicately smothered with gold threads all over, slightly cracked in the middle, with seeds of red rubies glowing from within. It was a deftly... crafted piece by an Armenian artisan in Sivas, he had been told.MoreLessShow More Show Less
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