Nesguni, Murals of the Savior’s Church. First Layer

Building:	Nesguni, Church of Savior ("Matskhvar")
Layer of the Murals:	First Layer
Date/Period:	9th-10th cc.
Donor(s):	Beshgen
Painter(s):	Giorgi

Inscription(s)

of the Donor(s)

In the chancel of the church, nearly the whole length of the apse is surrounded by a fresco inscription mentioning artist Giorgi and donor Beshken: Ⴕ ႱႠႾႤႪႨႧႠ Ⴖ(ႫႰ)ႧႨႱႠჂႧႠ ႣႠ ႫႭႫႠႣႪႤႡႨႧႠ Ⴜ(ႫႨ)ႣႨႱႠ ႫႠႺႾႭႥႠႰႨႱႠჂႧႠ ႫႤ ႡႤႸႵႤႬ ႫႭႥႼႤႰႤ Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ ႤႱႤ ႱႠႩႳႰႧႾႤႥႤႪႨ ႮႳႰႨႧႠ ႣႠ ႴႠႱႨႧ||Ⴀ ႹႤႫႨႧႠ ႱႠႪႭႺႥႤႪႠႣ ႧႠႥႨႱႠ ႹႤႫႨႱႠ ႣႠ ႫႭႱႠჄႱႤႬႤႡႤႪႠႣ ႫႸႭႡႤႪႧႠ ႹႤႫႧႠ Ⴑ(Ⴓ)ႪႨႱႠႧႳႨႱ ჄႤႪႨႧႠ Ⴂ(ႨႭႰႢ)ႨႱႨႧႠ [Ⴕ(ႰႭႬႨ)Ⴉ(Ⴍ)ႬႱႠ [- – – – -] Ⴇ(ႳႤ)ႱႠ ႫႠႨ(Ⴑ)ႱႠ Ⴀ(ႫႤ)Ⴌ – In the name of God and with the grace of the Holy Savior, I, Beshken, had this chancel painted by Giorgi at my expense, in order to pray and commemorate my parents’ souls, in koronikon [—–], in May; amen (Svanet’is ts’erilobit’i dzeglebi (X–XVIII ss.), II, epigrap’ikuli dzeglebi, tek’stebi gamosatsemad moamzada, gamokvlevebi da sametsniero-satsnobaro aparati daurt’o valeri silogavam [Svaneti Literary Monuments (10th–XVIIIth cc.), II, Epigraphical Monuments, rdited by Valeri Silogava] (Tbilisi, 1988), 67-8).

of the Painter(s)

Description

Initially, only the chancel was painted in the church of the Savior in Nesguni.

Chancel

A three-figure composition of Christ in Majesty is depicted in the conch. It represents enthroned Christ flanked by full-length frontal figures of saint archangels (the conch composition has survived fragmentarily).

In the second registre, between the immediate edge of Christ’s pedestal and the window, in the center Mother of God Hodigitrea is inscribed in a medallion; the Virgin facing Baby Jesus is depicted without a halo. The Savior, sitting on the lap of the Virgin has a folded scroll in His left hand and is caressing Mother with His right hand; six full-length frontal figures of the apostles are depicted on both sides around the Virgin (the northern section is almost obliterated).

The inner face of the triumphal arch has a cross inscribed in a medallion; on both sides are images of five prophets depicted to the chest and inscribed in medallions.

Bibliography

Tatiana Sheviakova, “Nezgunis (zemo svanet’i) eklesiis mkhatvrobis tarighisat’vis” [“Concerning the Date of the Murals of the Nezguni Church (Upper Svanet’i)”], Sak’art’veos metsnierebat’a akademiis moambe [Bulletin of the Georgian Acadmey of Sciences] XXIII, №1 (1959): 115–20.

René Shmerling, Malye formy v arkhitekture srednevekovoj Gruzii [Minor Forms in the Architecture of Medieval Georgia] (Tbilisi, 1962), 228.

Tatjana Shevjakova, “K voprosu o vozniknovenii I kharaktere freskovjkh rospisej v Gruzii VIII–IX vv.” [“Concerning the Origins and Character of the Fresco Decorations in 8th-9th-Century Georgia”], Sakart’velos metsnierebat’a akademiis sazogadoebriv metsnierebat’a ganq’op’ilebis matsne [The Bulletin of the Section of the Social Sciences of the Georgian Academy of Sciences] 1 (1962): 262–3.

Lapidaruli ts’arts’erebi II: dasavle’t sak’art’velos ts’artserebi, nakv. I (IX-XIII ss.) [Lapidary Inscriptions II: Inscriptions of Western Georgia, Part I (9th-13th Centuries)], gamosatsemad moamzada, gamokvlevevebi da sametsniero-satsnobaro aparati daurto valeri silogavam [Edited by Valeri Silogava] (Tbilisi, 1980), 98.

Natela Aladashvili, Gajane Alibegashvili, Aneli Volskaja, Rospisi khudozhnika Tevdore v Verkhnej Svaneti [Murals of the Painter T’evdore in the Upper Svanet’i] (Tbilisi, 1966), 13–5.

Natela Aladashvili, “Kompozitcia altarnoj konkhi v tserkvakh svanet’i” [“Chancel Conch Compositions in the Svaneti Churches”], IV Mezhdunarodnij simpozium po gruzinskomu iskusstvu [IV International Symposium on Georgian Art] (Tbilisi, 1983), 3.

Rusudan Q’enia, Nat’ela Aladashvili, Zemo Svanet’i (shua saukuneebis khelovneba). Gzamkvlevi [Medieval Art of Upper Svaneti: A Guidebook] [Sak’art’velos megzuri [Guide of Georgia]: 2] (Tbilisi, 2000), 78–9.

Marine Q’enia, “Adreul k’art’ul mokhatuloba’ta programebis t’aviseburebat’a gamo” [“On the Pecularities of Programmes in Early Georgian Murals”], Sak’art’velos Sidzveleni [Georgian Antiquities] 11 (2007): 53–4.