“Unique” collection of Georgian carpets, ceramics finds new space at Art Palace museum

A “unique” collection of Georgian carpets and ceramics, previously kept in unsuitable conditions in the basement of the Tbilisi-based Art Palace museum, has found a new home in a newly obtained space of the venue, Giorgi Kalandia, the Director of the institution, announced on Tuesday.

In his social media post, Kalandia said the new space had been obtained through an initiative by Culture Minster Thea Tsulukiani, specifically to house the collections of the former Museum of Folk and Applied Arts.

The works of art were previously kept in a building located on Dadiani Street in Tbilisi, with water leaks from cracked walls and “collapsing” pillars observed in the neglected space, the Facebook post said.

Photo: Giorgi Kalandia's Facebook page

The Georgian carpets and ceramics are now being kept on ecologically clean bamboo hangers and suitable shelves, Kalandia said, adding “with the support of the Culture Ministry, we were able to renovate the new repositories in the shortest time and acquire museum inventory.” 

The Ministry purchased the 400-square-metre building, located next to Art Palace, last year, with the intention of using it for housing collections formerly found in vaults of the Folk and Applied Arts Museum. The items were handed to Art Palace two years ago.

Located at 6 Ia Kargareteli Street in Tbilisi, the Art Palace museum last year joined the Network of European Royal Residences. It was also nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award in 2019, and became the first Georgian museum to be included in Google Arts and Culture, an online platform showcasing venues, collections and biographies from around the world.