Izvorni znanstveni članak
ON THE MOTIF OF CROSSED LILIES
Zlatko Gunjača
; Split, Muzej hrvatskih arheoloških spomenika
Sažetak
The author first explains the reason for introducing lily motif in art and determines the character of crossed lilies on some Early Mediaeval-Early Croatian stone sculpture.Then he surveys theses of other scholars on the subject. They all agree that this motif belongs to Late Antique, that is, to Early Christian sculptural repertoire. Disagreements appear when it comes to the genesis of the composition created by connecting the stems of this flower and by special distribution of its leaves which was rightly called lily cross by Karaman. Gunjača presents the opinion of each scholar. So Karaman considers Early Mediaeval-Early Croatian lily cross motif to be the result of gradual transformation of the Late Antique one. Dyggve fits this element into his thesis of Early Christian architecture and sculpture as direct source of Early Mediaeval Croatian architecture and sculpture. I.Nikolajević does not think that Early Mediaeval lily cross motif originated from the Antique one, although she give an example of this kind. According to her this compositionis the result of deduction and further stylization of elements which decorate Early Christian "slabs" from Kolovrat, Založje and Manastirine. Z. Rapanić, who hypothetically looked for its origin in the East, does not believe this motif to have belonged to EarlyMediaeval interlaced sculpture.The author thinks that is was very unlikely for a new motif to appear in the Early Middle Ages if it had already existed in the Early Christian decorative repertoire.According to him lily cross motif on Early Mediaeval-Early Croatian monuments was the result of an adaptation of Late Antique motif with geometric and interlaced elements.Several finds from the Salonitan bishopric undoubtedly produced in local workshops testifyto such a thesis. One is a relief stone slab and pillar from Zenica and another slab fragment from the same site. But best example are lily crosses on fragments of two stone monuments from Šupljacrkva, in Solin which belong to Early Croatian stone decoration. Due to their slight geometrical pattern and similarity with numerous analogies from Italy the author considers them to be the earliest known instance of this motif in Croatia. Another proof is a monument from Šuplja crkva with stylized vine scrolls also belonging to the earliest phase of Early Mediaeval Croatian interlaced sculpture. An analogy for such an early dating of both motifs is found in St. Anastasius' "urn", from Sesto al Reghena, Italy, which was dated to the mid 8th century. On one side of this "urn" both lily crosses and stylized vine scrolls are executed in a way similar to those on the monuments from Šuplja crkva. The author reaffirms Karaman's thesis that lily cross motif belongs to the Early Mediaeval Croatian interlaced decoration. This is testified by motifs executed on prior Peter's sarchopagus and a slab fragment from Donje Polje, Šibenik. He concludes that specific composition of lily cross is just one of motifs which shows that interlaced decoration was rendered in a peculiar way in Croatia and therefore deserves to be named – Early Croatian interlaced decoration
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
117948
URI
Datum izdavanja:
10.2.1992.
Posjeta: 1.487 *