Ćilibarska posuda iz Petrove crkve kod Novog Pazara

Abstract

In the course of investigations in 1985, directed by G. Marjanović-Vujović, a section of the churchyard was explored and the line of rampart which separated the church of St Apostles Peter and Paul and the seat of the Raška bishops from the secular world was established. On that occasion a fragmented object of amber was discovered (Figs. 1, 2). Without doubt it is a vessel of which only smaller part was preserved (Wh. 26 g., H. 8 cm; W. 5.3 x4 cm), probably goblet with short faceted foot. Made of a single lump of amber, brown-red in color, the vessel was decorated on the outside with ornaments carved in low relief. The interior of the vessel, i.e. the preserved bottom part was meticulously polished, while the wall thickness is just 1.0-1.5 cm. Short hexagonal foot has calotte-shaped recess and tapers towards the ring-like molding which separates it from the bottom. At the lateral side is a vertical plastic rib decorated with slanting notches. The relief decoration on the preserved half of the recipient is arranged in three polygonal metopes bordered with three-partite vertical bands (Fig. 3). In two lateral panels the relief floral ornament depicting the leaves of vine or acanthus could be discerned. From the representation in the central metope, on the left side is preserved a foot of some animal, most probably the lion. On the right side in the same panel, fragment of a leaf with nervation depicted by shallow incisions, is discernible. The archaeological context of the find suggested the medieval period, at least for the time when it was last in use. The fragment of amber goblet was discovered in the layer of debris with large amount of ash, cinder and animal bones. On the same occasion a large amount of glass and ceramic vessels dating mainly from the 13 th century was also discovered and numismatic finds - silver coins of Serbian king Stefan Uroš I (1243-1276) - provide terminus ante quem for the dating of the amber goblet and other finds in this layer of debris. However, the fact that a fragment of amber vessel was discovered in the vicinity of St Peter`s church - complex archaeological site where a large amount of prehistoric amber along with other objects determined as Archaic import was discovered in 1957 in the princely tomb discovered under the foundations of the narthex - impelled us to investigate the possibility of dating this find in the end of 6th and beginning of the 5th century BC. Such a dating might have been supported by the results of spectroscopic analysis of the samples taken from the vessel. It is the Baltic amber (succinit), therefore the same kind of amber used for the previously mentioned objects. But, in spite of the fact that they were discovered at the same site and apparent coincidence concerning the origin of amber, we think that dating of amber goblet within same chronological limits should be challenged. First of all, the Baltic amber was the most commonly used in the entire Europe for manufacturing various objects not only in the prehistoric period but in the later periods as well. Secondly, for the hexagonal form of the Novi Pazar goblet, as far as we know, there are no analogies among the prehistoric vessels either among those made of amber or among those made of other materials. Morover, the distinctions in style and ornamental technique of some amber objects from Novi Pazar 6th-5th century BC princely tomb and the goblet fragment from the same site are also apparent. The best examples for comparison are the trapezoid tablets with representation of Hercules with Cercopes (Fig. 7), executed in the linear style, by shallow engraving of the drawing on the flat surface. Besides archaeological context of the find the shape of Novi Pazar amber vessel and stylistic characteristics of its relief ornament also indicate the medieval dating, assigning it, by our opinion, to the domain of Christian applied art. Hexagonal shape and compositions depicted on six panels appear on some of the most important Christian liturgical vessels, as chalices or censers. The form of the preserved fragment of the amber vessel resembles mostly the shape of the Syrian-Palestinian censers (Figs. 5, 6), although probably it had not the same primary function. These censers are connected in general to the artistic production of the 7th-9th centuries in Syria, Palestine and Coptic Egypt, but they were certainly produced in much later periods also. Since the end of 12th century main center for production and distribution of these liturgical objects was Jerusalem but they were also locally produced during 11th-13th centuries in Armenia. As according to the style as well as by the manufacturing technique the preserved representations on the Novi Pazar vessel resemble mostly the medieval carving tradition of the Byzantine cultural circle. The carving of ivory, bone and other suitable materials was particularly perfected in Constantinople and in other artisan and artistic centers of the Byzantine realm. In addition, the amber goblet from Novi Pazar could be connected to the Byzantine carved objects by the lion motif, like on an ivory appliqué from Chersonese (Fig. 8) and the representations on the bone combs from Corinth dating from the 10th-11th century (Fig. 9). Which of its manifold meanings is representing the lion figure on the amber goblet from Novi Pazar is difficult to say having in mind the degree of preservation of the images. The question of function of this vessel is also not quite certain. It is not impossible that goblet had profane character and was used as a drinking vessel. But, é is much more probable that the recipient of such a shape might have been used as chalice for Communion. Although the regulations on the production of church vessels required these Eucharistic vessels to be made only of precious metal, amber was not excluded entirely. In that regard é is not without significance that Armenian patriarch in Jerusalem has an amber scepter as a symbol of dignity, which dates just from the 13th century. The place of origin of the amber vessel should possibly be looked for in some of the workshops in the Christian East (Syria/Palestine). Numerous archaeological finds confirm that various objects that were produced for the pilgrims visiting the Holy Land reached the territory of today's Serbia. Besides one censer of the mentioned type (Fig. 6) discovered in the church of St Sunday in the village Pepeljevac near Kuršumlija, a large number of `Palestinian` bronze pectoral reliquary crosses with relief representations of Crucifixion and Virgin Orant were also found. The Novi Pazar amber vessel, having in mind the degree of preservation and the lack of specific analogies could cautiously be dated according to the finds from the same layer. It is at the latest the second half, i.e. the end of 13th century. Judging by the shape that resembles the Syrian-Palestinian censers and by the characteristic style of the relief decoration the goblet might be of earlier date, possibly from the 11th and 12th century. We should emphasize that certain damages visible on the preserved part of the amber goblet suggest that é was utilized longer than é was used in its primary function. Was it the specific vessel that was important, place of its origin or the descent of the former owner; or to the prolonged use of the vessel fragment contributed amber itself because of its well-known characteristics? Unfortunately, all these are the questions, along with provenience, chronological limits and primary function of the object, which at this moment remain open.