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SLTANETIA 211
off by au iconostasis or screen ; it varies in external form and
decoration. At Lenjer the apse is hexagonal ; in one of the chapels
at Lata! semicircular and decorated with a colonnade in low-
relief The interior, and sometimes the exterior, are frescoed in a
style varying from pure Byzantine to what in Italy might be called
Giottesque. The roof is often decoi'ated with representations of the
heavenly bodies, on a blue gi'ound. A large wooden cross, covered
with silver repousse plates, is sometimes found in front of the
iconostasis. There are few Georgian features in the architec-
ture, and it appears at least probable that the builders were rather
under direct Byzantine influence.
In these chm-ches are preserved, under the jealous guard of the
village elders, a number of very interesting objects, including
manuscripts of great antiquity. Many of them have been described
in detail and depicted in the work of M. de Bernoville, already
referred ti:i. Among the treasures he was allowed to inspect were
the following.
At Ushkul, smaE bronzes, apparently Roman, Per-
sian money, Persian silk embroidered with six figures of the sun,
ancient arrows and weapons. At the deserted monastery of St.
Quiricus, near Kalde, he found arrows, figures in silver or silver-gilt,
a magnificent Greek manuscript, attributed by M. de Bernoville to
the sixth or seventh century (its stibject is not stated), a silver box
in the form of a book, used for the preservation of the sacred
elements, having on one side the Crucifixion, with the Virgin and
St. John and two angels, represented in cloisonne enamel on a
silver ground. The workmanship is said to be of the highest
order. The border is set with uncut precious stones ; on the
reverse side is a scene which seems to be the descent of Christ
into Hades. M. de Bernoville, who has figured this case in his
volume, describes it, however, as the Resurrection of Lazarus. I
am inclined to believe that this may be the object, the removal of
which by a Rtissian oflicial became known throughout Suanetia,
and led to almost insuperable difiiculties being placed in the way
of later travellers desirous of investigating any church treasures.
At Mestia we read of two j^rocessional crosses, a number of
very beautiful old repousse silver pictures with Georgian inscrip-