Painted chancel screens in Upper Svaneti : the evidence from early monuments

Of the many examples of medieval decorated chancel screens preserved in Georgia, painted chancel screens are of particular interest for their diversity of materials as well as their iconographic and artistic features. Examples in the churches of Upper Svaneti include screens decorated with pure ornamentation, as well as with scenes and individual images of saints. The group of Upper Svaneti's ninth-/tenth-century churches is decorated according to a definite principle: apart from the chancel screens, only certain sections of the interiors and façades are decorated. First layer of this group of the chancel screens in the churches of St George in Nak'ipari, the Mother of God in Zhibiani, and Lagurk'a St Cyricus is formed by geometric patterns engraved in plaster and accentuated with red, white, and black paint. While considering the presence of the iconographic themes common in Byzantine chancel screen decoration, study should also take into account beliefs widely held in Upper Svaneti, such as the tradition of arrangement of the interior of the dwelling house, deities associated with hunting, and other local lore.