XXXI Международный конгресс ИИСАА. 23–25 июня 2021 г. Т. 1

Россия и Восток. К 100-летию политических и культурных связей новейшего времени. Т. 1 167 Источниковедение и историография народов Кавказа clothing in the painting of officials is the headwear. The headgear differentiated their social position. Headgear is also a feature of national difference.” 1 We would also like to discuss the topic of the clothing of this period: In Khobi and Vardzia, the garments of Shergil Dadiani and Rati Surameli are very similar; they look much like the Vachiani clothes depicted in Zemo Krikhi. The robe was tight at the waist and the hem was wider. The colour of the embroidery on the sleeves and edges of the costume were golden. In the attire of the Ktetors of Zemo Khirkhi, the viewer’s attention is drawn to the sleeves in particular, which are decorated with distinct embroidery. The embroidery reveals ornaments of Arabic inscription, called Khufu. In the Islamic world, fabric with inscriptions was particularly popular and prized until the XIV century. The earliest samples of such ornaments appeared in different shapes — medallions or images — and they were only used for the attire of high officials of the royal court, ambassadors and even caliphs. The tradition of Khufu ornaments spread throughout the Sasanian, Coptic and Byzantine cultures, but fabric with Khufu ornaments was particularly popular in Fatimid Egypt in the XI–XII cc. The inscriptions on the fabric were generally used in order to give praise to the Lord, although ornaments often had a purely decorative meaning as well. The tradition of using Khufu ornaments soon gained popularity throughout Georgia, but as can be seen from the embroidery adorning the attire of Rati Surameli, Shergil Dadiani and Vachiani, the Khufu ornaments on the Georgian fabric of that period had lost their original function and, despite maintaining the outline, were loaded with purely decorative connotation. 2 However, it should also be emphasized that during the era mentioned, sleeves decorated with Khufu embroidery were an essential attribute of the clothing of nobility. The noblemen’s attire also included another peculiarity, which were the specially cut white details (kbilanebi) placed at the hem of the rear, which probably gave the garment an imposing appearance when the wearer was moving. Based on all of the above, it is believed that from the XI century until the begin- ning of the XIII century, the official clothes of Georgian noblemen did not change significantly and their configuration was principally of a single form. 3 In the first half of the 13th century, an interesting trend occurred concerning royal attire, and the impression is given that Georgian official attire (other than the hat) was very similar to the king's attire, or rather that the royal attire had become lighter and less pompous. If in the early period Georgian kings (Bagrat III, George III, 1 Javakhishvili I. Mentioned work. P. 45–46. 2 Ketskhoveli M. Medieval Decorative Fabrics from Georgia. Tbilisi, 1988. P. 53–54. 3 About Georgian clothes of the XII–XIII centuries, see: 1. Javakhishvili, Ivane: Materials for the History of the Material Culture of the Georgian Nation. Vol. 3. Clothing, textiles and handicrafts; Vol. 4. Military equipment and military affairs. Georgia. The USSR Academy, Institute of GeorgianArt History, Vol. III–IV, Tbilisi, 1962. 2. Kalandia Giorgi, Zambakhidze Irakli, Saganelidze Irine: Fabric fromGeorgia. Vol. I. Tbilisi, 2017. 3. Kalandia, Giorgi: Fabric from Georgia, Headwear of the Georgians. Vol. II. Tbilisi, 2019.