Gocha Laghidze

Gocha Laghidze (, March 18, 1965 — present ) is a Dutch-Georgian metal artist and armorer. He specializes in the reconstruction and restoration of medieval armor and weaponry.

Laghidze's work involves studying the historical context and original craftsmanship of the objects he handles. His work is characterized by craftsmanship with an artistic touch. The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science considers his work to be of essential importance to Dutch cultural heritage.

Youth and education Traditional Georgian chain mail armour, first production by Laghidze. Gocha Laghidze was born in 1965 in Tbilisi into a family that was part of the intelligentsia in Georgia, which was then part of the Soviet Union. In elementary and high school, he showed talent in painting, mathematics, and physics.

In 1979, he attended a special high school. His history teacher there, Juansher Jurkhadze, was a collector of antique art and sparked Laghidze's interest in swords and armor. With his support, Laghidze made a sample of chain mail. He then crafted a traditional helmet. Jurkhadze was impressed by his work and gave him a Persian shield from his collection.

In 2022, an overview exhibition of his work was held at the Markiezenhof in Bergen op Zoom, titled The Iron Secret Keeper. In this exhibition, he aimed to show the connection between the Markiezenhof and Georgia, as several marquises from Bergen op Zoom were members of the Order of the Golden Fleece, an exclusive knightly order that was originally Georgian.