WORLD OF ART
By Maximillien de Lafayette
ART, METAPHYSICS AND
THE HEALING POWERS OF RELIGIOUS ART:
THE KATCHKARS
THE
SACRED STONE CARVED CROSSES AND HOLY ETHNIC ART
The
most recognizable Armenian art is
the traditional stone carving. The carving of Khatchkars is an
artistic Armenian tradition. An Armenian trademark and monopoly. Khatchkar,
literally means "cross-stone"; khatch means cross and
“kar” means stone. It refers to an upright basalt stone
resting on a rectangular base with its back facing eastward. It is a slab
of stone incorporating various patterns of carved crosses with inscriptions
and different designs pertaining to various epochs. The front of the basalt
stab is always hosting a large cross carved in the center and surrounded
with elaborate designs and symmetrical designs that vary from one katchkar
to another. Each single katchkar is unique in its design, carving style and
geometrical form. There are thousands and thousands of them in all sizes,
forms, shapes and heights, ranging from two feet to nine feet plus.
The small size katchkars are usually found carved or placed into churches
and cathedrals walls, incorporated into niches or placed at church doorways.
The larger ones are found everywhere. Many of them were used as
gravestones, tomb steles and monuments to commemorate events, completion
of churches, military victories, life passages, to immortalize important
events and achievements, commemorate the liberation of lands and
territories which were captured and usurped by the enemies, the re-capture
of a city lost to hostile conquering foreign power, completion of churches,
etc.. Most commonly, Khatchkars were used as religious monuments to
commemorate the dead. Traditionally the deceased was buried in the tomb with
the head directed toward the east, in the direction of a Khatchkar which was
placed at his/her feet. Almost all katchkars, small and large include
the name of the artist who carved the stone, the date he completed the work,
the occasion or reason for which the slab was erected, as well as the name
of the person, persons or family who commissioned the carving work, similar
to the tradition that accompanied the illuminated manuscripts paintings.
Thousands of these stone slabs still exist today in Armenia, Turkey,
Asfahan and Jerusalem.
THE RELATION BETWEEN THE
KATCHKARS AND EARLY VISHAPS STONES AND NEOLITHIC OBELISKS:
Katchkars
are not the first carved stones in Armenia. In the pre-historic times of
Armenia, sculptured stones existed in the form of a very large and
free-standing stone monuments of various forms and designs, usually
taking the shape of a fish. They were called: Vishaps, and were
referred to as the “dragon stones”. They were regularly found nearby creeks,
lakes, rivers and fountains due to their religious and worshiping
relationship with water. In fact, early Armenians worshiped Astghik, the
goddess of water. Vishaps can still be found in Erevan, nearby Arayr, Mt.
Aragats and mountain Geghama.