EARLY DECORATIONS OF THE PAINTED CHANCEL BARRIER IN UPPER SVANETI AND THE LOCAL FOLK CUSTOMS

Abstract

The original painted decoration of the chancel barriers in the churches of Nakipari, Zhibiani, and Lagurka, in the Upper Svaneti, emphasizes the significance of the most sacred and visually prominent part of the church – the sanctuary – and the partition that separates it from the nave. This conceptual and artistic approach situates these decorations within the broader tradition of the embellishment of chancel barriers and templons in Byzantium and the Christian East dating from the 6th to the 10th centuries.
At the same time, the impact of local beliefs and vernacular artistic traditions is clearly evident, suggesting that these constituted an important source in the formation of the original decorative programmes of the early churches in Upper
Svaneti. The repertoire of motifs and the organization of compositions parallel the iconographic schemes characteristic of Byzantine templons and architraves, including medallions rosettes and rhombuses, as well as geometric and zoomorphic
ornament. However, these decorative compositions are not merely analogous but, in certain respects, directly correspond to the ornamental vocabulary found in the wooden interiors of traditional Svan old dwelling – the machubi.
The aniconic decorations of the chancel barriers in the churches of Nakipari, Zhibiani, and Lagurka, dated to the 9th–10th centuries, represents an early stage in development of sanctuary screen embellishment. These decorations form part
of a unified system of early church decoration while simultaneously functioning as a distinct artistic accent within the interior. Moreover, they provide valuable evidence for understanding the character and evolution of church decoration in early medieval Georgia.