Thracian gold and artistry of Valentin Yotkov

Valentin,

We’re happy to have you back with us at Orchid! For those of us
interested in the technique of chasing and repousse it is a pleasure to
have someone in our midst with a background and talent as fascinating as
yours.

I, for one, have been extremely interested in the history of ancient
civilizations as well as the history of ancient gold technology and the
iconography/mythology of the images depicted in articles from the ancient
Mediterranean and Near Eastern cultures. Those who were lucky enough to
have seen the exhibitions of Thracian Gold and of Greek Gold (about three
years ago) probably feel the same way. It never ceases to amaze me that
people that long ago could have created articles of such beauty and
mastery with the limited types of tools and materials that they must have
had.

It would be wonderful if you might consider presenting a workshop related
to this subject, the study of style and technique of the ancient Thracian
goldsmiths. Please sign me up as your first student in that class!

Elizabeth McDevitt

Hello Elizabeth, Your message to Valentin Yotkov was of interest to me
because I have been teaching ancient techniques of goldsmithing for 28
years, in New York City and now in workshops throughout the country. I
will be teaching a workshop in loop-in-loop chains, a 5000 year old
technique with many variations, on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina,
September 13 to 17. If you are interested in this subject or any of the
others that I teach - granulation, enameling, ancient rings - please let
me know of your particular interest and I will put you on my mailing
list.

Jean Stark