Painted Chancel Screens in Upper Svaneti: The Evidence from Early Monuments

Painted chancel screens in Upper Svaneti's medieval churches reveal a distinct artistic and iconographic tradition, blending Byzantine influences with local Svaneti beliefs. These screens, found in early monuments like St George in Nak'ipari, the Mother of God in Zhibiani, and Lagurk'a St Cyricus, feature geometric patterns engraved in plaster and accentuated with red, white, and black paint. Unlike other regions, Upper Svaneti's decoration is highly selective, focusing only on specific interior sections and façades. The study highlights how these screens incorporate both pure ornamentation and scenes of saints, reflecting a synthesis of broader Byzantine iconography and indigenous traditions, such as hunting deities and domestic spatial arrangements.

Meladze, S. (2023). Painted Chancel Screens in Upper Svaneti: The Evidence from Early Monuments. Medieval Svaneti: Objects, Images, and Bodies in Dialogue with Built and Natural Spaces, 66–85. https://doi.org/10.1484/m.convisup-eb.5.136731