THE OKONI TRIPTYCH ICON

In 2001, an exceptionally valuable Georgian artefact, which had been considered lost since 1991, unexpectedly appeared at a Christie’s auction in Geneva. This outstanding ivory work, known as the Okoni Triptych Icon, had disappeared from the Tskhinvali Museum. At that time, Georgian jurisdiction no longer extended over the territory, and the loss was not officially reported by the museum. For a considerable period thereafter, the triptych remained effectively ‘detained’ in the secure storage facilities of the Palace of Justice in Geneva. Under the 1959 European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, the Okoni Triptych Icon was to be returned to the country from which it had been unlawfully removed and to which it rightfully belonged. However, its return to its homeland was preceded by numerous difficulties and obstacles. Only after overcoming these challenges did this remarkable monument finally take its place in the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts in Tbilisi.

Several monuments are known under the name ‘Okoni Icon’. Consequently, it proved challenging to confirm the identity of this particular work. According to Prince Vakhushti Bagrationi, the Byzantine wife of King Bagrat IV, Helen, brought the icon to Georgia as part of her dowry, together with other treasures: ‘She brought the Nail of the Lord, the Okoni Icon, and many treasures as a dowry’. While some scholars support this view (Uvarova, Florensky, Goldschmidt, Weitzmann, Mishakova), others have identified the work either as an icon of the Mother of God (Bakradze) or as an icon of the Crucifixion (Taqaishvili). It is generally thought to have been made in Georgia, although its style clearly reflects Byzantine artistic principles.

Okoni Triptych Icon

When and how this magnificent example of Byzantine art came to Georgia, specifically to the village of Okona in the Znauri district, remains uncertain. Uvarova encountered it in the newly built church of Okona. According to the information she gathered, the icon was removed from Okona by Lezgin raiders, later came into the possession of Prince Tsereteli, and was eventually returned to the Okona Church. In 1924, the triptych was transferred from there to the Tskhinvali Museum. In 1984, the icon was studied in situ and photographically documented. At that time, it became the subject of scholarly research by Leila Khuskivadze. The outstanding photographs taken by Otar Tskvitinidze provide invaluable visual evidence of the icon’s condition prior to its theft. It is therefore clear that the icon in its present state does not fully represent the monument’s original appearance. In the seventeenth century, it was enclosed in a silver case adorned with three elongated crosses. The space beneath the arms of the central cross was once decorated with an Asomtavruli inscription: ‘Okoni Icon, have mercy upon Catholicos Eudaemon, the unworthy. Amen.’

The Catholicos Eudaemon mentioned in this inscription, identified as Eudaemon Diasamidze, who served during the reign of Teimuraz I (1630–1642), is likely to have commissioned the covering of the triptych with thin gilded plates and its embellishment with precious stones. The decoration included one large sard, twenty-five garnets, one turquoise, and three imitations.

Eudaemon I Diasamidze, The Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia in 1632-1642

It seems that the condition of the icon had deteriorated significantly by that time, and the silver case was most likely designed to protect it, while the gilded plates were intended to conceal areas of damage. However, the nails used to set the stones caused additional harm to the rare central ivory plate. The subsequent forcible removal of the silver case and gilded plates by thieves inflicted further damage. However, it also facilitated the recovery of the icon’s earlier appearance and enabled a closer examination of its details. All signs of deterioration were thoroughly documented in Geneva by Elene Kavlelishvili, an experienced curator of the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts. Today, the icon has been freed of these later additions and is presented in a form closer to its earlier state, allowing for further analysis. At the same time, the case appears to be the only effective means of structurally reinforcing the triptych. For this reason, at a solemn ceremony on 26 May 2004, marking the return of the treasured work to Georgia after its long journey, His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II expressed the view that a protective case should be restored to the icon.

What distinguishes this monument as a piece of art, and why does it occupy such a significant place in global cultural heritage?

The Okoni Triptych belongs to a distinct group of tenth-century ivory triptychs, characterised by a Deesis composition in the central panel and figures of saints and pedestal crosses on the wings. Among these works, the Okoni Triptych appears to be the most refined, distinguished not only by its exceptional quality, delicacy, and dimensions. Free from rigidity and schematic treatment, the triptych is more closely aligned with the refined ivories of the so-called Romanos group. Its artistic merit is evident even in the exquisitely carved ivory crosses.

The Okoni icon is also remarkable in terms of its dimensions: it measures 23 cm in height, whereas similar triptychs, such as those in Hildesheim, London, and New York, measure only 14.5 or 15.5 cm. Its width when closed is 14.5 cm, compared with 10.32 cm, 12 cm, and 13 cm in the aforementioned examples. The figure of Christ measures 15.5 cm in height (excluding the footstool), whereas in the London and New York triptychs, the figure occupies the full height of the central panel.

Examination of the icon after the removal of later additions confirmed the assumption that the reverse side of the central part of the ivory was originally plain; its surface reveals the natural oval structure of the ivory layers. The crosses carved on the backs of the wings are repeated on the embossed case. The master engraver likewise reproduced the form of the ivory pedestals with steps, rendering seven steps on the right wing and six on the left. The composition is well balanced. The original Deesis composition appears to have included a baldachin, a common feature of triptychs of the period. Typologically, it is similar to the baldachin structures of well-known triptychs in London and New York. Giorgi Chubinashvili suggested that the Okoni baldachin represents a ‘Hellenistic, baroque variant … more closely associated with Byzantine artistic traditions’. Its function was to frame the sacred image, providing greater visual stability and monumentality. The icon no longer retains its baldachin, and the right-hand sections depicting Saints Paul, John, and Theodore.

 Deesis composition, Central Part of Okoni Triptych 

The removal of the silver plates from the front of the Okoni icon revealed identifying inscriptions accompanying the figures. The Greek texts are executed in a dark brown pigment typical of ivory carvings of that period. In the central panel, only part of Christ’s monogram (IC) survives, placed to the left of the Saviour’s head, where His halo ends. The corresponding letters on the right are no longer legible. The half-length saints depicted on the wings were likewise originally identified by painted captions. Each inscription began in the upper corner with the word ΑΓΙΟΣ (Saint), enclosed within a circular frame. Today, the figure of St George is without a surviving inscription, while only the letter C remains beside St Nicholas. A complete inscription is preserved solely for St Paul; the others have lost their final letters. On the left wing, the names of John the Theologian and Theodore are no longer readable; on the right, that of Peter has likewise faded.

Greek Inscription for St. Paul

On the wings of the triptych, a dividing line between the half-figures of the saints is rhythmically intersected by knots. The interaction between the plain background and the images introduces a sense of volume that was previously obscured by the silver plates.

The Right Wing of Ttiptych. Saints Paul, John and Theodore

The influence of antique forms is evident in the elegant execution of the figures, and in the refined, naturalistic treatment of each detail. To depict the wrinkles of the saints, the master applies a colouristic technique: the foreheads of Saint John and Saint Nicholas are covered with warm brown, with light yellow wrinkles delicately drawn, while golden-yellow highlights shine through the saints’ curls.

The Left wing of Triptych. Saints George, Nicholas and Peter

The gilding of the Okoni icon is not exceptional, being comparable to the so-called Racha Triptych of Georgian origin, also dating to the tenth century. It is likely that the ivory of the Okoni icon originally possessed a more yellowish hue.

Of particular significance is the fact that the Okoni Triptych has survived intact, with all its constituent elements, whereas other works of the same group are preserved only in fragmentary or incomplete condition. The hinges connecting the central panel to the wings have likewise been preserved, as in the well-known triptychs of Harbaville and the Vatican.

The style of the Okoni Triptych reflects the artistic tendencies of Byzantine ivory carving of the period. Although traces of ancient Hellenistic illusionism are discernible, the triptych demonstrates a decisive transformation of form that marks it as distinctly medieval. This shift is expressed above all in the dematerialisation of the figures and the heightened spiritualisation of the images.