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PLUTEI FROM THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT GATA NEAR OMIŠ
Jasna Jeličić Radonić
; Regionalni zavod za zaštitu spomenika kulture u Splitu
Sažetak
Among various stone sculpture from the early Christian church at Gata near Omiš the author has chosen and analyzed a part of the church interior decoration – the slabs of the altar screen. During archaeological researches twenty two fragments of plutei were discovered, mostly border pieces. The stylistic analysis revealed three plutei, which was also suggested in their reconstruction. Although only fragmentarily preserved the plutei from Gata have all the sculptural characteristics of this period – wide floral border and the whole main panel showing unique ornaments rendered in horror vacui. Rich achantus scrolls and cornucopias are plastically executed and emphasized by elaborate use of the drill technique thus revealing coloristic effects of new artistic taste. New tendencies of »eastern« style in late antique sculpture that appeared in the late 5th and early 6th centuryes were especially in vogue during Justinians’s rule.
Owing to the superior quality of its ornaments, style of decoration and fine execution, the Gata plutei rank among the best pieces of the late antique sculpture in the Roman province of Dalmatia. Although not one similar altar screen was found in numerous early Christian churches on Dalmatian territory, the author assumes that the Gata plutei must have been made in a local workshop, most likely the Salonitan one which was able to meet the requirements of the commission, and to produce a work of such a high quality. Their indirect model, that is, the closest parallels could be seen on the early Byzantine plutei from the late 5 th and early 6 th centuries made in Oriental workshops such as the plutei built into St. Mark’s church in Venice then the plutei from the basilica A in Nea Anchialos and from the basilica Ursiana in Ravenna.
Their Salonitan origin is suggested not only by the material, local lime stone, but also by the border floral decoration, executed in the form of classical frieze in the very well-known ancient way. Such borders, however, were not utilized on the church interior of Salonitan basilicas, but only on plutei in the early Christian churches int he Dalmatian hinterland (Dikovača, Zenica, Dubravina, Breza I).
The plutei from Gata must have been executed in a Salonitan workshop which was able to produce such high quality reliefs ranking among the highest sculptural achievements of that period. It was the vicinity of Salona, the capital and metropolis of the Roman province of Dalmatia, that enabled the appearance of a centrally planned church of double shell type at Gata. It was constructed according to the principles of early Byzantine architecture with the presbitery furnished with fine decorations belonging to the patterns of early Byzantine sculpture.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
140955
URI
Datum izdavanja:
1.2.1991.
Posjeta: 1.740 *