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Byzantine Church Decoration and Georgian Art

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Byzantine Church Decoration and Georgian Art ECA 7 (2010), p. 97-134; doi: 10.2143 / ECA.7.0.2136908 The Oldest Murals at Oshki Church: 1 Byzantine Church Decoration and Georgian Art Zaza SKHIRTLADZE In 1917, during an expedition organized under the the mosque stood, was fully revealed at the struc- direction of Ekvtime Taq’aishvili in historical Tao- ture’s demolition in the early 1980s. The main Klarjeti (now north-eastern Turkey), special atten- composition occupies the middle register of the tion was given to the church of Oshki, dedicated to central section of the apse, between the two win- St John the Baptist (Pl. 1). The church had been dows: an unidentifiable chief priest, probably one built under the patronage of the rulers of the Tao- of the initiators of the painting, and the donor, Klarjeti Kingdom, Bagrat the Magistros (d. 966) Patrikios Jojik face St John the Baptist, who holds and David Curopalates (d. 1001) in 963-9762. a scroll inscribed in Georgian (John 1:29) (Pl. 4)5. Taq’aishvili gave a brief description of the frescoes To the left, the entire length of the eastern wall of surviving in the church and deciphered the already the apse must have displayed a large, multi-figure fragmentary donor inscription running along the scene of the Crucifixion, of which only fragments painted band that divided the two registers of fig- ures below the conch (Pls 2, 3). According to the inscription, the frescoes were executed with the donation of Jojik the Patrikios, in koronikon snv, 1 3 This article is based on the paper presented at the LXIII i.e. in 1036 . In Taqaishvili’s view, the church must Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies, London, in March have been painted for the first time at that moment, 2009. I am grateful to Glenn Peers and Stephen Rapp Jr. i.e. six decades after its construction. for their helpful suggestions and comments. 2 The paintings of 1036 adorned the entire inte- The materials of the 1917 expedition were published with considerable delay – following the return of E. Taq’aishvili rior of the church. However, over the past century from exile – first in Russian, in 1952, then in Georgian, in most of these frescoes, which already survived only 1960. In the present article quotations are taken from the as separate fragments, have been lost. At the same Georgian edition (Taq’aishvili 1960, 32-58). On Oshki see time, previously unknown images have come to also: Baumgartner 1996, 519-534; Beridze 1981, 164-166; Beridze/Alibegashvili/Xuskivadze 1984, 54, 80, 180-181, light. The surviving images, along with old photos, 183; Bogisch 2009, 207-248; Brosset 1864; Djobadze 1976, copies and notes made over the decades by various 39-62; idem 1978, 114-134; idem 1988, 168-182; idem scholars and visitors, allow us now to investigate 1992, 92-141, Pls 119-189; Eastmond 1998, 41-43, 232- the decoration of Oshki in greater detail4. 234; Mepisaschwili/Zinzadze 1986, 261-262, Figs 395- 400; Piguet-Panayotova 2002/2003, 103-144, 175-219; Thierry 1986, 135-171; idem 1992, 227-234; Winfield DESCRIPTION OF THE PAINTINGS 1968, 33-72; Zakaraia 1992, 163-185. Concerning the various opinions about the dating of the church’s construc- The painting done with the sponsorship of Patrikios tion, see Silogava 2006, 64-104. 3 Taq’aishvili 1960, 43, 56. Only small fragments of the Jojik involves the fragments surviving in the chan- inscription have survived. For the English translation of its cel and the south apse. The painting of the huge, text see Eastmond 1998, 232. vast chancel incorporated the image of Christ 4 Amiranashvili 1957, 107; Djobadze 1988, 172-182; East- enthroned between two archangels in the conch, mond 1998, 232-233; Taq’aishvili 1960, 43-44, 56-57; Thierry 1986, 135. below it the orant Virgin and St John the Baptist 5 Taq’aishvili 1960, 44; Thierry 1986, 136; idem 1988, 131- between two rows of the Apostles, and finally the 134. Djobadze (1988, 172-182 and 1992, 139, Fig. 44, figures of Church Fathers and deacons (Pl. 2). Pls 187 and 188) proposed that a Deesis with Christ, the For a long time, the south apse of the church Virgin and St John the Baptist was depicted on the fresco. For further correction of this identification, see Eastmond had been converted into a mosque by local resi- 1998, 233; Skhirtladze 1992a, 11-22; Thierry 1992, 227- dents. The fragmentary painting, still visible while 234. 97 94164_ECA7_2010_08.indd 97 28/11/11 14:33 Fig. 1. Oshki Church, plan Pl. 1. Oshki Church: general view from West (Photograph Z. Skhirtladze) 98 94164_ECA7_2010_08.indd 98 28/11/11 14:33 Pl. 2. Oskhi Church: chancel murals (photo of E. Taq’aishvili’s expedition, 1917) Pl. 3. Oskhi Church: apse murals; donor inscription (photo of E. Taq’aishvili’s expedition, 1917) 99 94164_ECA7_2010_08.indd 99 28/11/11 14:33 Pl. 4. Oskhi Church, murals of south apse: St John the Baptist, Partikios Jojik and local chief priest (Photograph Z. Skhirtladze) Pl. 5. Oskhi Church, murals of south apse: Crucifixion (Photograph Z. Skhirtladze) 100 94164_ECA7_2010_08.indd 100 28/11/11 14:33 Pl. 6. Oskhi Church, murals of south apse: coronation or marriage of King Bagrat IV (Photograph Z. Skhirtladze) remain at present (Pl. 5)6. The composition repre- The niche in the eastern face of the north-west sented to the right of the central scene, on the west- pillar appears also to have had paintings and reliefs, ern wall, is also fragmentary. However, it almost but these images have now been purposefully dam- certainly showed either the coronation of King aged (Pl. 28). Bagrat IV in 1027, or his marriage in 1032 to Despite this evidence from the 1030s, the char- Helena, the niece of the Byzantine Emperor Roma- acter of the interior decoration of Oshki in the pre- nos III Argyros. The image shows crowds set ceding decades from the 970s has remained unclear. against the backdrop of the major cathedrals and Indeed, was its interior painted, whether wholly or monasteries of Tao-Klarjeti. Two of these monu- in part, immediately after it was built? And how ments – Otkhta Eklesia and Bana – survive and are does all this tally with the contemporary reality of named in inscriptions (Pl. 6)7. the second half of the tenth century – a period of The niche in the south-west pillar supporting the dome of the church – the special place of the eristmtavaris (chief commanders) – is also painted 6 Djobadze’s identification of the composition as ‘Prepara- (Pl. 7). The large-scale figure of Christ in the niche tion of the Cross’ is wrong (Djobadze 1988, 180), as well is flanked on both sides with relief half-figures as that of Alexidze and Khoshtaria as the ‘Bearing of the of the erismtavaris, each accompanied by long Cross’ (Alexidze/Khoshtaria 1991, 152). 7 Djobadze 1988, 172-182; Eastmond 1998, 233; Thierry painted inscriptions written in old Georgian uncial 1986, 135-142. I identified the image of Otkhta Eklesia in script asomtavruli. These inscriptions mention the June 1990, during the short-term expedition in Tao-Klar- Mother of God and St John the Baptist (Pl. 8)8. jeti with Nicole and Michel Thierry, cf. Skhirtladze 1992a, 11. In W. Djobadze’s view, the fresco must date from 8 9 Djobadze 1992, 98-100, 135-136, Figs 28, 39a, h, Pls 136- the building of the church ; however, the style of 137; Eastmond 1998, 30-34. painting points also to its execution in the 1030s. 9 Djobadze 1992, 98. 101 94164_ECA7_2010_08.indd 101 28/11/11 14:33 Pl. 7. Oskhi Church, south-west pier; view from north-east (Photograph Z. Skhirtladze) Pl. 8. Oskhi Church, south-west pier; reliefs of Erismtavaris (Photograph Z. Skhirtladze) 102 94164_ECA7_2010_08.indd 102 28/11/11 14:33 Pl. 9. Oskhi Church, south pastophorium; general view of the chancel (Photograph Z. Skhirtladze) growing rapprochement and cultural interchange centre, against the background of a starry sky, the between Byzantium and Georgia? Saviour sits on a throne lavishly set with gems, sur- Here, we must turn to other, hitherto unknown rounded by a variegated mandorla. He is flanked fragments of paintings that strike through else- on both sides by archangels clad in patrician robes where in the interior of Oshki, may help to illumi- set with precious stones, and by tetramorphs stand- nate several aspects of the problem10. In the interior ing on fiery wheels, whose graceful lower wings are of the south pastophorium of the church (Fig. 1), covered with eyes (Pl. 11). the first glance at surviving murals makes it clear that they belong to a very different campaign from that of the 1036 paintings. The comparatively well- 10 I described these fragments first in the 1990 expedition. preserved fresco in the conch of the apse shows I continued this work later, during expeditions in September the traditional composition of the glorification of 1998 (with Anthony Eastmond), June 2001, and August- the Lord that was widespread throughout the early- September 2005. Privalova also points to the presence of the 11 painting in the diaconicon of the Oshki Church (discerning medieval Christian East (Pls 9, 10, 12) . Close several images), Privalova 1996, 9; idem 1999-2001, 28. Cf. analogies can be found elsewhere in Georgia, for the English version of this article, Privalova 2001, 67-68. example, in the Church of the St Dodo Monastery 11 Velmans/Alpago-Novello 1996, 17-30. 12 in the Gareja desert (end of the ninth century)12 and Shevjakova 1983, 14-16, Pls 48, 49, 50; Skhirtladze 1997, 179, 186, Figs 8, 9; Vol’skaia 1983, 3-4; idem 1988, 118-150.
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