The new century… The new values…

What does this century hold for us? What new things will it teach us, and what will it relegate to the past? Only time will answer these questions.

Yet, no matter what great new achievements and changes the new era has in store, we must treasure and protect the heritage that has been transmitted to us from the past.

The national tradition that has been handed down from generation to generation has allowed us to endure the vicissitudes of life and preserve our identity.

Our magazine is beginning to feature what constitutes this cultural tradition. In this issue we will talk about the Georgian enamel art.

The colours that have reached us from the eighth century remind us of Georgian faces, shapes and characters of the past… The colours of the ancient artefacts that help us discover the roots of Georgian painting, are the colours of Georgian enamel…

The technique of enamel coating was as follows: a metal plate was covered by an enamel layer, primarily white in colour. After the background had been burned out, finely ground multicoloured enamel was mixed up in turpentine oil. Then the surface was painted with a soft brush… The combination of metal and coloured enamel was so subtle and harmonious that one could feel as if some kind of fascinating power – strong and emotional – was emerging from it.

The oldest enamel specimens have been known from ancient China.  Quickly this new trend in art invaded the whole of Europe. Schools of enamel were opened, with the three most famous centres at Lorraine (the Maas school), Reims and Limoges. At one time the enamel of the Byzantine era also enjoyed its peak of development… The art of Georgian enamel was distinguished by its originality and the collection of Georgian enamel was considered to be one of the finest in the world. This was not mere copying or sharing, for instance, of the art of the Byzantine enamel. This was an entirely new and original style in art.

"The ingeniousness of the expressed image, the rhythm of the cloisonné’s restricting the overall volume of long, thin figures, a wine-like colour of the skin, the expression of simply elaborated images and, sometimes, Georgian inscriptions", is how Leila Khuskivadze, a researcher of Georgian enamel describes the enamel sample.

Specialists indicate that amazing dynamics could be sensed in Georgian enamel items, as distinct from the Byzantine ones. Such are the images of the apostles Peter and Matthew, St. George and the Virgin Mary. They look surprised, happy, and thoughtful and some of them have a sad expression in their eyes…  For instance, the plate with the image of St. George - "St. George slaying a dragon with a sword". St. George is riding a prancing horse and killing a dragon with his sword. The rider is sitting upright on a white horse and a red-legged dragon is clasping the hind legs of the horse.

The composition is spread out on a golden background and the inscriptions are executed in blue enamel.  The faces depict victory and loss in the battle.
Due to the principle of its vegetative ornamenting, the enamel of the Virgin of Tsilkani icon has been compared to that of the icon of "Nikopea" preserved in the San-Marco museum in Venice.

In general, the Georgian collection of medieval enamel examples kept in the Georgian Art Museum by no means falls behind the richest treasury of the Venetian enamels.   The cloisonné enamel of the Khakhuli triptych, which the scholars have termed the "Enamel museum", is not only equal to the Venetian Pala d’Oro but is considered to be a particularly unique feature and is studied individually.

The triptych of the Khakhuli icon is certainly the crowning exhibit of the Georgian enamel collection, which totals over 200 items including icons, crosses, medallions, bracelets, etc. Almost all the samples are made in the traditional way: high quality gold and electrum are used which gives the enamel durability. This very durability has ensured that these artefacts are preserved to this day.

The Georgian cloisonné enamel is dated not only to X-XI centuries. Thus, the garment of Sargis Spasalari depicted on the XIV century fresco on the wall of the Sapari temple provides evidence that the cloisonné enamel was also used in Georgia to adorn garments. From the VIII century through the XIX century, the Khakhuli triptych is deemed the largest specimen of the cloisonné enamel in the world (its dimensions are 116 cm x 95 cm). The quantity of enamel in this icon exceeds a hundred thousand. The triptych comprises a whole ensemble of Georgian art of that period and represents a precise image of that era. It is probably impossible to have brilliance, greatness, strength and wealth expressed otherwise…

In addition, the Khakhuli enamel is the earliest example of anthropomorphous enamel in the entire East-West Christian world.

The image of the Virgin Mary with the accompanying angels, apostles and chief priests, the faces of saint riders and coronation scenes are brought together on the Khakhuli triptych. One of the topics depicts the Christian wedding and blessing of the Byzantine emperor Parapinakis and the daughter of the Georgian king – Bagrat IV. According to scholars, Mariam herself brought this enamel to Georgia  in the year1072.

The story of the Khakhuli icon and its enamels resembles a big adventure: it has travelled much and was threatened by numerous dangers. From the Khakhuli monastery in Tao-Klarjeti, David Agmashenebeli (the Builder) brought the triptych to Gelati where it was re-chased and covered with the cloisonné enamel. That is why the colours have never faded: the blue had the touch of the colour of the sea, the green – the greenness of grass, the brown – that of the earth and the red – the shades of red wine…

Later David Agmashenebeli wrote in his will:

"I donate all my pearls and rubies to the Virgin of Khakhuli". Tradition has it that the enamel artefacts of an earlier period were kept in David’s treasury and were later used for adorning the Khakhuli icon. That is why the crucifixion typical of the VII-IX centuries by its archaic style and iconography and the medallions of the early medieval period with the images of the Virgin Mary and St. Theodore are encountered in the Khakhuli enamels.

People prayed and tried their clothes and jewellery in front of the icons decorated by the Georgian enamel. And, indeed, these icons were of invaluable wealth because they were unique and inimitable… If you look at them now, you might imagine all these icons breathing, even being able to follow their rhythm and not be surprised if you see the icon of the Virgin Mary crying.

When a genuine stone darkens, it foretells a misfortune. It is difficult to say whether precious stones lost their glow in the twentieth century when Georgia was undergoing years of stagnation. It might be that, like all others, gems also suffered.

These were the years when enamel was virtually never made, and when it was, it was done so in secret and in fear. For instance, working in gold or silver was prohibited. Once, when one of the enamel craftsmen – Iago Dekanozishvili, sent his gold-plated enamel works to a contest in Limoge, he wrote that the material used was not gold but tombac. If he had not done so, his exhibits wouldn’t have reached the addressee.

"If Georgian enamel did loose something, it was only those 80 years when there was no God in Georgia", said Iago Dekanozishvili and other contemporary Georgian masters of enamel.

"Nowadays enamel has become more human and has developed a great deal. Some people are using it to decorate the façade of their houses; others are working with such thin cloisonné that it is impossible to see them without a lens."
      Zaza Lodia

The art of cloisonné enamel has never been taught at the Art Academy. It has never been taught anywhere in Georgia. It is not taught today either. Those who are enamel professionals today spare no effort in experimenting before they obtain a required colour or adequate cloisonné thickness. Some people recall Rimas Burneikas, a Lithuanian who had a tiny studio on the mount of Mtatsminda in Tbilisi, a man who had taught many artists the secrets of working with enamel.
Working in cloisonné enamel is an extremely expensive pleasure, especially if you are willing to use precious stones with it. However, "here, in Georgia, you can more easily find a diamond than enamel. It is true that enamel is cheaper but not so much … Its quality is higher than that of crystal and sometimes it contains rubies and gold. In some works, precious stones will cost you two thousand lari and gold another thousand lari. In addition, when you turn on your electric oven to burn out a sample, the meter will register seventy lari for that one piece. This, too, is a major problem."
Iago Dekanozishvili

In keeping with ancient tradition, icons were more frequently decorated with enamel. However, the enamel itself, which in ancient times was intended for religious themes only, is today available to everybody. Nowadays, the composition made in enamel may be entitled even "A Portrait of a Poacher’s Wife", which is the name given to one of Zaza Lodia’s works.

"‘Adam and Eve’, ‘The King’, ‘One’s Own Crucifixion’ are the works into which I have put all my soul.  Gogi Kupradze, who passed away last year, was one of the leading masters of the art of enamel. He loved travelling and his first work was named a dirigible.  As soon as you cast a glance at it, you realise that the author is a man who is soon to depart. As for me, St. George was the first work that I created and I repeated this topic many times later. My St. George doesn’t resemble the one made by other artists: sometimes he is riding a zebra and sometimes – a tortoise. I love him very much and among the saints
I honour him most of all."
   Zaza Lodia

Recently, the Georgian Patriarchate invited the artists working in enamel and gave each one the honour of making different icons. It was St. George’s day and creating the St. George icon again fell to Zaza Lodia. Soso Alavidze was entrusted with working on the icons of St. Nino and St. Andrew, Iago Dekanozishvili - John the Baptist, David Chkheidze - the prophets David and Elijah, and Paata Paatashvili - the Virgin Mary.

It takes about a month to create one piece of work. At the same time, this process is accompanied by the risk of contracting a multitude of professional diseases.
"The acids and chemical solvents used are very poisonous. All the lids of the bottles have a skull imprinted on them."
Iago Dekanozishvili

Nowadays, enamel has become very fashionable in Tbilisi. It can be found for sale but still…

"Abroad, Georgian enamel is not represented as adequately as it should be. We did have our works displayed at exhibitions: myself – in France, Soso Alavidze – in London and Switzerland and other painters – in other places. There has also been some media coverage but, still, it cannot be said that it has been a great success".
Zaza Lodia

 "In France, one hundred and fifty countries took part in a competition but it was we who came back with a gold medal".
  Iago Dekanozishvili

In the past, Georgian enamel had plenty to say.   All the ancient traditions have been preserved and much is being added to them. What could be said of the future of enamel?

"It is an art, the supreme form of love, the talent of serving the Lord. However, since cloisonné enamel is made on gold plates, such work should be profitable to the state as well. If a bank does not hold gold equivalent to its monetary value, its currency means nothing at all. Gold has a value of its own. However, I can increase the value of ten grams of gold up to one thousand by creating a work of art whose value will increase with time. Not a single bank will ever incur losses if it has works of art instead of the gold bullion held in its safe."
 Iago Dekanozishvili

"What is being done abroad today is entirely different. Our technology is based on tradition, which implies using cloisonné of the same thickness and length that were used in olden days. Overseas this process has been simplified a lot and, therefore, it is no longer a cloisonné enamel".
David Chkheidze

"Georgian cloisonné enamel differs from the foreign one as much as Georgians in general are different from the rest of the world".
  Zaza Lodia

Someone created an airship and was gone. Someone else made a "House by the Seaside" and stayed.

One might ask: why do people generally come and go to the "world of enamel" and why do they paint St. George sitting on a tortoise?
Is it a signal that sometimes the Gods are late in arriving?

However things might be, this country is Georgia and even though many years have passed, people here still create most subtle golden plates - just as they did in the past.

Eka Kevanishvilli
Tea Topuria