Lidov, Aleksej M.: The mural paintings of Akhtala (Moscow, 1991)

33

... zzzzzkc f/ze ro&c o/*f/zc cp/;oJ c/Y q/*Mzzc. ... ylzzzY hczzczvZYz zz/zo/z Z/zc Yzeziz
o/* z'Y //zozz .s-/zzz/f zzzzzke pozizegz-zzzzzzYc^ of hYzze, zzzzzY of qzzrq/e, zzzzzY o/*
iczzr/e/, rozzzzzY zzhozzY //;e /zezzz Yzcrczzf' zzzzzY hcYYx zif goYzY be^veezz Z/zt;z?z
rozzzzzz zzhozzY; .... AizzzY z'Z y/zzzYY he zzpozz ^4zzrozz Yo zzzz'zzzYYer; zzzzzY /zz.s' .sozzzzzY
Vzzz/Y he /zezzz-zY w/zezz /ze goef/z zzz zzzzZo Z/ze YzoYpp/zzce Ae/bre Y/ze LorzY, ...
Eariy depictions of Oid Testament high priests confirm the correctness of the
proposed anaiogy^. There the upper garment and the ephod have a jagged edge. The
hem of the Virgin's maphorion is also characteristically shown as having a jagged hem
and the pendants are fastened to its projections exactiy as in depictions of Old
Testament garments. Undoubtediy the use of this iconographic motif has symbolic
meaning and is in fuii accordance with the idea of continuity with the church of the
New Testament^.
In Christian theoiogy the image of Mary who grew up in the Tempie and then laid
the foundations for the history of the New Covenant became a visuai symboi of the
unity between the oid and new churches. Her image conveys the idea of the timeiess
idea! church. And this aiso explains the frequent comparison in liturgical poetry
between the Virgin and the Tabernacie, the first tempie of aiPf in the present case
the iiturgicai aspects of her garments shouid probabiy be examined in this context. If
the doubie bands and crosses are cteariy iinked with the sacrifice of the New
Testament, the tasseis adorning the hem of her maphorion recaii the worship of God
in the Oid Testament.
These are not obligatory elements in the Byzantine iconography, however, and are
quite rareiy encountered in Caucasian monuments. They formed part of an additional
range of iconographic motifs that couid be appiied to stress particuiar symbolic
aspects. Their use in this context was undoubtediy iinked with the specific conceptions
of those devising the Akhtaia iconographic programme. Having embodied the Church
in the architectural representation of the throne, they recaiied the worship of the Lord
performed in that same space by emphasising iiturgicai elements in the vestments of
the Virgin.

32 Detailed descriptions and images of the High Priest Aaron are found in the oidest manuscript
copies of the "Christian Topography" by Cosmas tndicopteustes, which may have been one of the basic
sources for medievai painters. See E.K. Redin, ATarrZzaarkaya Zopograga YZdzmy /ndzkopZcva pc grecAerkvn
z rarr/H/n rpirkam (Christian Topography by Cosmas Indicopieustes in Greek and Russian Copies), Pt. I,
Moscow, 1916, pp. 294-297.
33 This is not the oniy instance of re-interpretation of Oid Testament vestments in Christian
iconography. For the treatment of Hebrew ritua) garments in certain scenes of the Christotogicat cycte,
see E. Reei-Naher, "Les tissus iiturgiques dans ies manuscrits byzantins: un probieme de transcription
iconographique", T7;c AT77ZA /nZez7!aZ:onaZ RyzanZzne Coagrerr. A&rZracZr o/ 5Aort Paperr, Washington,
1986, p. 291.
34 On the devetopment of this theme in 13th-century Byzantine iconographic programmes, see
Dufrenne, "L'enrichissement" , pp. 40-41.