Bichvinta Mosaic

Bichvinta Mosaic is 4th-5th centuries artwork, which decorated the floor of the 5th-century three-aisled basilica (the ruins of the basilica were discovered during archaeological excavations at Bichvinta Cape starting in 1952).

The mosaic of the apse and the baptistery was relatively well preserved (currently, a large portion of the mosaic is housed in the Georgian National Museum of Art). The mosaic is made from local colorful stones in the form of square pieces on finely ground brick and lime mortar. Scholars suggest that it was created by local artisans.

The Bichvinta mosaic’s style is similar to mosaic art of the Hellenized Middle Eastern countries, such as Syria and Palestine. At the center of the apse of the basilica, there is a large monogram adorned with the symbols of "Alpha" and "Omega."

The composition is further adorned with geometric ornaments (diamonds, triangles, circles). According to a Greek inscription, the basilica was built by someone named Orelis ("for the salvation of Orelis and his entire household"). The church is dated to the second half of the 4th century. It has a projecting, five-sided apse, with a narthex on the west side. The church was destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries. Apart from the apse and baptistery mosaics, fragments of mosaics were found in the north and south naves. The central motif of the altar mosaic is a fountain ("living water"), surrounded by images of sacred birds, stags, and other animal figures, as well as depictions of a sacred cow and calf.

The apse mosaic is of particular interest in Georgian art due to compositional unity and color scheme. The mosaic in the narthex is better preserved. It also features the image of the fountain. Birds are sitting on the right and left of the fountain, and the geometric shapes created by the scrolls blend with the figures of birds and fish inserted into circular patterns. In various parts of the church (the north and south naves), there are fragments of images depicting stags and oxen. In the south nave, there are fragments of mosaics with secular motifs, depicting an elephant, a triton, and geometric shapes.

Literature: ა მ ი რ ა ნ ა შ ვ ი ლ ი  შ., ქართული ხელოვნების ისტორია, თბ., 1971; დიდი პიტიუნტი. არქეოლოგიური გათხრები ბიჭვინთაში, [წგ.] 3, თბ., 1978.

A. Chkhartishvili