Today, with some of our group having unwell innards, one with sore muscles, and the heat, we did a simple walk to the National History Museum on the edge of town. Views along the way:
Bridge
Below bridge
Under bridge
The area, still in the city
The museum, now restored
Museum lobby area
Hardwood church door. Would your church like one of these? The trouble is, it was for short people.
Door detail
These handsome fellows - priest and seated man - were the originators of this museum, out studying the natives.
Before Christ, the area had two regions of people, Colchis, and Iberia. Note Scythia to the north. The art here was much influenced by them, especially in the fantastical animal forms.
Thus.
Georgia does still have ibex.
The original chunky necklace
A necklace you didn’t want to wear - like a scarlet letter
Now you know -
Gold Coins found here with image of Alexander the Great. There were Roman ones with Caesar image, and some with ancient Georgian kings, early A.D.
Then came a room with very old icons, a few painted on wood, and some in metal relief on wood.
Christ Enthroned
Gabriel
Lazarus
George
Nicholas (Aren’t you glad you are culturally literate?)
Quite small, hand-size
A beautiful processional cross. Unfortunately I couldn’t get a good picture, because it was behind glass.
Then came a room with ancient liturgical books and Gospel manuscripts - in the full sense of the word: hand copied.
They were huge and thick.
Still using parchment scrolls in the 1400’s, when the Renaissance was in full flower in the West.
This was labeled a pulpit, but I think they meant lectern. Note the wooden nails.
Hard to see behind glass, but some of you like this part best. I couldn’t get pictures of the pistol collection or the marvelous swords and daggers in beautifully wrought sheaths. These people were fierce fighters. They also used whips and maces and carried small round shields.
Ladies wore these down their bodice fronts. Gents wore fancy belts with metal knobs ( sorry, picture too dark), later with little gunpowder cases, and still later with cartridge arrays.
Ladies’ belts. Yes, real gold or silver.
Saddle, note crupper (left, lower) on cantle for mountain terrain. Ladies had sidesaddle.
On our walk back, we saw some native men ride past us on horses, with a variety of saddles, none of which you have seen before, one of which was like this. It gets a pillow-like pad on it.
A man’s chair, “for family matters meetings.” Storage chest to the left.
Another chest, inlayed.
Detail.
Then we walked a roundabout way back to the hotel, for sick people to rest.
These area towers were inhabited at least to the 1970’s.
The perspective doesn’t do justice to the height, not extreme, but tall.
Some Swiss people from Graubunden decided to drive here.
Somebody wanted his little bear to look fierce.
A street dog with two colors of eyes.
Town view
And our “family hotel” entrance, still with ragged Covid signs up, and government commands to walk on disinfection rug, of which there was none.
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