MONUMENTAL STONE CROSS, THE FIRST ON DISPLAY IN A U.S. MUSEUM, ON SPECIAL LOAN TO METROPOLITAN MUSEUM
Art Daily
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May 4 2008
NEW YORK.- A monumental 12th-century Khatchkar – a 2,000-pound, nearly
8-foot-tall block of basalt, carved on its surface with symbols of
the four evangelists, a massive cross, small birds at fountains, and
surrounding patterns of interlacing – is now on display in the Mary
and Michael Jaharis Galleries for Byzantine art at The Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York. It is on special long-term loan from the
State History Museum of Armenia in Yerevan.
This is the first display of a Khatchkar – a commemorative object whose
name means cross (khatch) of stone (kar) in Armenian – in any museum
in the United States. The Khatchkar now on view originated in Lori,
the Republic of Armenia’s northernmost province, which is known for its
spectacular forested landscapes. The Hagop Kevorkian Fund generously
supported the transportation and installation of the Khatchkar.
"This Khatchkar is an exceptional example of the importance of the
Gospels to the Armenian people," said Helen C. Evans, the Mary and
Michael Jaharis Curator of Byzantine Art at the Metropolitan, "in that
it depicts of the cross of salvation rising from the symbols of the
four evangelists who wrote the Gospels – the angel of Matthew, the
lion of Mark, the ox of Luke, and the eagle of John. We are extremely
grateful to the many members of the Armenian community, both in Armenia
and here in the U.S., who made possible this loan, which represents
the great medieval artistic tradition of the Armenian people."
The Armenians, who recognized Christianity as their state religion
at the beginning of the fourth century, have long maintained an
independent Christian tradition. Located on the eastern border of
Byzantium during medieval times, they frequently installed imposing
Khatchkars as memorials to the dead and to mark local events of
significance. The Khatchkar now on view at the Metropolitan Museum
comes from the northern region that fell to the Mongols in 1238,
not long after it was carved. It features designs typical of the
decoration of Armenian Gospel manuscripts, particularly pages from
canon tables, and is thought never to have had an inscription. The
exquisitely carved interlaces form a ‘frame’ around the monumental
cross, which rests above the symbols of the evangelists. The large
head of Saint Matthew’s angel presides over the smaller heads of
Saint Mark’s lion, Saint Luke’s ox (on its side), and Saint John’s
eagle (in profile). The presence of evangelist symbols is rare in
Khatchkars of the medieval period.
The installation was organized and overseen by Helen Evans. She
traveled to Armenia with Jack Soultanian Jr., Conservator in the
Department of Objects Conservation at the Metropolitan, to select
the Khatchkar under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and
the State History Museum, and in consultation with the Office of the
President of Armenia.
This fall, additional works of Armenian art will be installed in a case
adjacent to the Khatchkar, including manuscripts from the collection
of the Metropolitan Museum and works on loan from other institutions.