Vaհe H Apelian
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| Chelpaz, the last shepherd of Kessab |
The attached is the second painting of Marie Ghazarian-Nichols. It depicts the last shepherd of Kessab. Much like her Keurkune painting, the original photograph is from the album the Beirut Kessab Educational Association – Ousoumnasirats – had prepared in 1955. The album was dedicated to Ovsia Saghdejian, the beloved Dayee (uncle) for the Kessabtsis. The album was edited by bishop Terenig Poladian.
According to Ara Ghazarin, his paternal aunt Marie Ghazarian-Nichols had commissioned a student of the famed Armenian painter Mardiros Sarian to depict the photograph in oil paint. Ara told me that he paid a visit to Mardiros Sarian studio to locate the painter, but regretfully the studio was closed at the time and was in repair due to a fire. Thus, the painter remains unknown.
At one time shepherding was an important trade. The villagers trusted their domestic animals to the shepherd. Hagop Tcholakian, the eminent scholar has a very interesting write-up about shepherding in Kessab. Those interested may read the attached link.
The caption of the photograph in the album reads as follows: “At dusk, the shepherd of Kessap returns home. He is happy, cheerful and smiling. Breathing in the fresh and clean air of Mount Cassius and Mount Seldaran, he remained healthy and cheerful until a ripe old age in his beloved Kessab” The last shepherd of Kessab was endearingly called Chelpaz.
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| Marie Ghazarian-Nichols and her four brothers were born and rained in this house, still stannding in keurkune. The pictrure courtesy Stepan J Apelian |
The late Haygaz Terterian wrote the following about the last shepherd of Kessab. He wrote that «as the epitome of his class, it is worth reviving an entire class with a few lines written about him.» ՚
Haygaz wrote:
«Kerob Arabian was an unknown to the people of Kessap. But who did not know Chilpaz, that uneducated, perhaps even illiterate, but wise shepherd known to all? Having spent his whole life with goats, having been born among them, having spent his childhood with them, he had become their leader. That thin and slender shepherd, having grown up in nature, became a man who disregarded the difficulties and dangers of life. Following the admonition of Jesus, "Be like the birds of the air, leaving your tomorrow to the providence of the Most Merciful." He lived his today, trusting God for tomorrow. The following were his own words: “What do I have to lose, if I climb the tree, the chakmas (long-strapped shoes) will climb ahead of me.” (see below)
Today, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, through their hard work, diligence, and perseverance, live a comfortable life in Kessab. The most well-known of them is Kerop, the grocer who keeps his grandfather’s name. But I unfortunately or fortunately, I don't know which, he has lost grandather's monicker, Chelpaz.»
Marie Ghazarian-Nichols has gifted the painting of the last shepherd of Kessab to the Armenian Embassy in Ottawa.
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| The original photograph from the 1955 Kessab album |
As a widower, Ara married Ellen Ayvazian whom he met in an Armenian Embassy function in Ottawa. Ellen was born in Tehran and studied in Armenia. She was appointed chief executive assistant to the Armenian Ambassador when the Republic of Armenia opened its embassy in Tehran and subsequently in Ottawa. Helen has said the Armenian Embassy receives paintings, but does not have room to have them all displayed. Consequently, many remain in storage. But the Armenian Embassy has made an exception to the Marie Gharian-Nichol’s painting of the last shepherd of Kessab and has the painting hung on the wall in its reception room.
Link: Marie Nichols and her two paintings about Kessab – Keurkune – 1 of 2 : https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2026/03/marie-nichols-and-her-two-paintings.html
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Link: Hagop Cholakian; The wounded wolf has no friends:
https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2020/12/and-that-becomes-end-of-all.html
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