DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43337#0368
CHAPTER TWO. THE ICONOGRAPHIC PROGRAMME | 365
ments of the holy bishops depicted in Akhtala. From the early Byzan-
tine period onwards, this iconographic motif is also to be found on the
garments of the Mother of God and in some compositions it helps to
distinguish her from other holy women (for example, in scenes of the
«Crucifixion»).
There is no need to prove the liturgical nature of this motif. Its or-
igin and symbolism, on the other hand, remain open to discussion.
In our view, the garments of the Old Testament high priests provide
the source, as in the detailed description of divine revelation from the
book of Exodus (28: 31-5):
...make the robe of the ephod all of blue 7lnd beneath upon the hem
of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scar-
let, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round
about: 7lnd it shall be upon Sdaron to minister: and his sound shall be
heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the eLord...
Early depictions of the Old Testament high priests confirm the cor-
rectness of the proposed analogy32. There the upper garment and the
ephod have a jagged edge. The hem of the Virgins maphorion is also
characteristically shown as having a jagged hem and the pendants are
fastened to its projections exactly as in depictions of Old Testament
garments. Undoubtedly the use of this iconographic motif has symbol-
ic meaning and is in full accordance with the idea of continuity with
the church of the New Testament33.
In Christian theology the image of Mary who grew up in the Tem-
ple and then laid the foundations for the history of the New Covenant
became a visual symbol of the unity between the old and new church-
es. Her image conveys the idea of the timeless ideal church. And this
also explains the frequent comparison in liturgical poetry between the
Virgin and the Tabernacle, the first temple of all34. In the present case
33 This is not the only instance of re-interpretation of the Old Testament vestments in Christian
iconography. For the treatment of Hebrew ritual garments in certain scenes of the Christological
cycle, see Revel Naher E. Les tissus liturgiques dans les manuscripts byzantines: un probldme de
transcription iconographique//The XVIIth International Byzantine Congress. Abstracts of short
papers. Washington, 1986, p. 291.
34 On the development of this theme in 13th_century Byzantine iconographic programmes, see
Dufrenne S. L’enrichessement du programme iconographique dans les eglises byzantines du
XIII siecle // L’art byzantin du XIII siecle. Beograd, 1967, pp. 40-41.
ments of the holy bishops depicted in Akhtala. From the early Byzan-
tine period onwards, this iconographic motif is also to be found on the
garments of the Mother of God and in some compositions it helps to
distinguish her from other holy women (for example, in scenes of the
«Crucifixion»).
There is no need to prove the liturgical nature of this motif. Its or-
igin and symbolism, on the other hand, remain open to discussion.
In our view, the garments of the Old Testament high priests provide
the source, as in the detailed description of divine revelation from the
book of Exodus (28: 31-5):
...make the robe of the ephod all of blue 7lnd beneath upon the hem
of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scar-
let, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round
about: 7lnd it shall be upon Sdaron to minister: and his sound shall be
heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the eLord...
Early depictions of the Old Testament high priests confirm the cor-
rectness of the proposed analogy32. There the upper garment and the
ephod have a jagged edge. The hem of the Virgins maphorion is also
characteristically shown as having a jagged hem and the pendants are
fastened to its projections exactly as in depictions of Old Testament
garments. Undoubtedly the use of this iconographic motif has symbol-
ic meaning and is in full accordance with the idea of continuity with
the church of the New Testament33.
In Christian theology the image of Mary who grew up in the Tem-
ple and then laid the foundations for the history of the New Covenant
became a visual symbol of the unity between the old and new church-
es. Her image conveys the idea of the timeless ideal church. And this
also explains the frequent comparison in liturgical poetry between the
Virgin and the Tabernacle, the first temple of all34. In the present case
33 This is not the only instance of re-interpretation of the Old Testament vestments in Christian
iconography. For the treatment of Hebrew ritual garments in certain scenes of the Christological
cycle, see Revel Naher E. Les tissus liturgiques dans les manuscripts byzantines: un probldme de
transcription iconographique//The XVIIth International Byzantine Congress. Abstracts of short
papers. Washington, 1986, p. 291.
34 On the development of this theme in 13th_century Byzantine iconographic programmes, see
Dufrenne S. L’enrichessement du programme iconographique dans les eglises byzantines du
XIII siecle // L’art byzantin du XIII siecle. Beograd, 1967, pp. 40-41.