This copper repoussé is based on an ancient Armenian folk story. Long ago there was a devout woman, Tamar, who loved a man who lived on the other side of Lake Van along Mount Ararat, in what is now Turkey. The woman would hold a metal bowl with fire in it as a beacon in the night. The three flames represent the Trinity. The man, following the three flames, would swim across the lake to visit his love. This continued for some time. One night, as the man was swimming toward his sweetheart, a witch caused the wind to blow. The woman’s flames were extinguished, the waves overtook the man, he sighed "Ah, Tamar" and drowned, hence "Aghtamar." The woman was so distraught that she lost faith in the Church, symbolized by her turning away from the church in the background. Aghtamar also refers to a church in Armenia that takes its name from the woman in this legend.
