Polychrome Masonry and Stone Inlays in the Décor System of Armenian Monuments of the 13th–14th Centuries and Their Seljuk Parallels

Lilit Shavarsh Mikayelyan

doi:10.18688/

Authors

Lilit Shavarsh Mikayelyan Yerevan State University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18688/

Keywords:

Medieval Armenian architecture, polychrome masonry, Ani, stone mosaic, inlay, portals, decorative ceramics, Seljuk monuments, Islamic tiles

Abstract

The research was done within the framework of a grant for the project: “Medieval Armenian Sculpture of the 12^thto the 14^th Centuries: Patterns of Development, Symbolism and Style” (25RG-6E165), provided by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of RA.

The architecture of Zakarid Armenia (late 12^th – first third of the 14^th century) is characterized by the large-scale construction of secular and church buildings, novelty of structural and decorative executions, which have a number of parallels with the contemporaneous monuments of the Rum Sultanate. This was due to similar traditions of stone construction techniques and a wide exchange of artistic ideas in the region. Among them, polychrome stone masonry and mosaics of figured tiles stand out. In Armenia, rich in building stone, such sets were widely used in the capital Ani and its surrounding monuments, in which reddish and gray tuff was applied. In the north-east of the country, polychrome portals and their stone inlays were composed of local felzit tuff of soft shades. The compositions of Armenian mosaics and images on individual slabs and their relief imitations testify to the influence of the art of ceramic tiles. Similar inlays are also found on Seljuk monuments, also distinguished by the polychrome portals. In the latter, the mixing and mutual influence of different techniques and materials and the frequent use of tiles in building decor were especially relevant. The development of glazed architectural ceramics, with the main centers in Iran, resulted in the widespread popularity of this art form throughout the Near East, significantly influencing the technique and patterns of stone sets. While in Armenia, the architecture was characterized by stony, more restrained polychrome building decoration, the architecture of Seljuk Anatolia was more multi-colored due to the significantly greater use of glazed tiles.

Author Biography

Lilit Shavarsh Mikayelyan, Yerevan State University

Mikayelyan, Lilit Shavarsh — researcher. Yerevan State University (YSU), Faculty of History, Chair of History and Theory of Armenian Art; SPIN-код: 7864-1907; ORCID: 0000-0001-8766-2872; Scopus ID: 57208114675.

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