eBook - Medieval Georgian Cloisonne Enamels

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History - of Georgian Cloisonne Enamels

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The enamels of a later period represented by the two plaques with St. George were also executed in Georgia. They have not been dated accurately so far but they couldn’t have been made earlier than the 15th century. One of those, showing St. George riding a horse and slaying a dragon, of a more laconic composition has become especially popular after having been used for a poster for the First International Symposium on Georgian Art. As regards the means of expression these plaques do not add anything new to the already existing examples, but they demonstrate a very high standard of Georgian enamel-work at its final period and point out how traditional, how deeply rooted it has become in Georgia. The majority of Georgian enamels kept in the State Museum of Fine Arts belong to the 10th and 12th - 13th centuries. These periods mark a particular upsurge of enamel-work in Georgia. The spontaneity of presentation, the rhythm of the sharp long folds, the partitions binding the figures, the wine-colored shades of the flesh, the expression of the images treated simply, and occasional Georgian inscriptions, these are the features that distinguish Georgian cloisonné enamels of the 10th century from their Byzantine counterparts whose images, full of great spiritual strength are executed with a greater complexity and the figures are covered with a network of fine folds, the partitions.

The gold cross from Shemokmedi with an inscription in Georgian making a mention of King George of Abkhazia, deceased in 957 is one of the most vivid examples of Georgian cloisonné enamel-work of the 10th century. The extraordinary power of influence of the stocky figures of the gold cross lies in their artless simplicity. Unique artistic expression marks the somewhat roughly hewn but monumental figure of Christ Enthroned, adorning the cover of a gold reliquary.

The Khakhuli icon of the Virgin with the type of the face analogous to numerous examples of Georgian repoussé work also belongs to the 10th century. These works of Georgian enamellers showing a number of national features are contrasted with the works of pro-Byzantine order. Among these the cross of Kvirik adorning the Khakhuli triptych and dating from the 10th century is to be mentioned in the first place. Al though the Georgian inscription and the mistakes in the Greek one betray the hand of a Georgian artist the overall style conforms to the principles of Byzantine art and finds its closest analogues there.

The works of Georgian enamellers of the 10th century are mainly executed against a gold background. Only two objects which are believed to date from this period: the cross on the icon of the Saviour from Katskhi and the medallions of the Vardzia icon of the Virgin have enameled backgrounds. The substitution of the gold backgrounds for the enameled ones which occurred in the 10th century was conditioned by the main tendency of the period to bring out the figure, to differentiate the figure from the background. It coincides with the natural stage of development of Georgian plastic art which at that period sought the truly sculptural means of expression. From the 10th century onwards all Georgian enamels are executed against the gold background.

Only three of oval medallions adorning the Khakhuli triptych are absolutely certain to date from the 11th century as the leveling of the styles In Georgia at this period makes It rather difficult to single out the truly Georgian enamels. This can be explained by strong pro-Byzantine attitudes which are also manifest in other aspects of Georgian culture.

The enamels of the 12th - 13th centuries constitute a considerable part of the treasury. Here as in the works of the 10th century we can differentiate between the indigenous and pro-Byzantine schools. All these enamels show the common tendencies of this epoch: they are increasingly sumptuous and decorative, picturesque and dynamic. But what sets the Georgian enamels apart is the verve of the images devoid of the stern religious dogmatism, a whole gallery of individualized saints with Georgian inscriptions which could easily pass for actual “portraits” (e.g. the Saviour from Gelati), and a certain emotional tenseness of the scenes, whether the lyricism of the plaques with the Holy Feasts or the grammaticism of the Kortskheli icon.

he best specimens of pro-Byzantine school are the exalted image of St. Peter on the Khakhuli medallion impressing a viewer with a certain inner, spiritual radiance, or the medallion with St. Theodore from the celebrated Jumati icon of Archangel Gabriel whose all other medallions are kept in the Metropolitan Museum except one which is the property of the museum Cluny.