The Heart And Soul Of Armenia Lives In A Slab Of Wood
For Vahagn Amiryan, the act of carving wood is a way to bring the country's ancient traditions into the modern era.
Wood has a special place in Vahagn Amiryan's heart. It can bring Armenia's ancient past into the modern day.
The act of carving wood into traditional Armenian furniture and decor â and amulets to ward off the "evil eye" â is "a way to connect with the roots," he explains through an interpreter at this summer's Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C.
Amiryan, in his early 50s, spent two weeks
