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133757
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The Frame of the Southern Proskynetarion at Nerezi
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Artifact |
The iconostasis, which is in the Church of Saint Panteleimon in Nerezi, represents an eclectic reconstruction of the original fragments and relatively accurate copies of the original pieces executed in 1930 and 1931. It measures 3.60 m x 2.30 m and consists of four parapet slabs and four colonnettes, which connect the slabs and support an architrave.
The lower portion of the colonnettes, up to the height of the parapet slabs (1.00 m), is rectangular. Their upper portion is octagonal and topped by capitals. To the North and South respectively, the iconostasis is flanked by proskynetaria icons, 1.30 m wide and 2.50 m tall.
The frame of the Southern proskynetarion is the most impressive original sculpted piece at Nerezi. It is executed in stucco, unlike the rest of the sculpture, which is carved in marble. The inner side of the frame is tri-lobed and decorated by a bead-and-reel pattern and a braid of four interlaced triple bands. The ornament within the frame consists of two pheasants flanking the central vase, from which emerge vine stems interwoven
with a stylised palmette. The frame is topped by an architrave, which projects outwards at an angle of 30 degrees and is decorated by a heart-shaped palmette separated by a double lily. The sides of the frame are flanked by colonnettes topped by small capitals with palmette decoration.
The extremely high quality of carving, with minute attention given to details and rich surface modeling of the sculpture at Nerezi, compares closely in its refinement to contemporary sculptural fragments found in the capital Constantinople and its orbit of influence. It also finds many parallels in the high-quality works in the provinces. A number of finely carved sculptural pieces and ensembles, which have been preserved in Macedonia from the 11th and 12th centuries, testifies that highly skilled artists were active in that province. Among the many examples, particularly interesting are the sarcophagus panels from Veroia, Serres and Mikra Prespa, sculptural fragments found in Chortiatis and White Tower in Skopje, the door lintel of the church of H. Anargyroi in Kastoria as well as the iconostasis of the Church of St. Sophia in Ohrid, the Church of the Mother of God Eleousa at Veljusa and the Church of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste at Bansko. |