Cosmologic Representations on the Late Antique Mosaics from Bulgaria

Authors : Vania Popova

Pages : 315-342

Doi:10.26658/jmr.1376838

View : 85 | Download : 323

Publication Date : 2023-11-03

Article Type : Research

Abstract :The article traces the cosmologic structure and its separate components, reflected on the Late Antique mosaic pavements from the ancient provinces of present-day Bulgaria. Distinguished are three basic historical periods of development. The observations reveal that these lands were receiving ready cosmogonic structure’s schemes after the act of cosmogony from the big artistic centers of Italy, Greece, Asia Minor and North Africa. For several reasons, the cosmologic structure and the components of the Late Antique mosaic pavements from Bulgaria are not full, but limited and adapted, with many missing figural representations in the mosaic pavements and the tomb wall paintings, differently to the Western and the Eastern Mediterranean. This is considered a kind of proto-iconoclasm, due to the influence of heresies and the concrete historical, religious and artistic development. The joyful picture of the Christian Universe changes and disintegrates after the Justinianic period, and the previous Order and Harmony, including the place of each sphere and cosmologic element, is already not fixed, but in free mixture with other figural and symbolic images. The old cosmologic picture comes to its logical end and is replaced by a new one after the beginning of 7th century.
Keywords : Kozmolojik unsurlar, Geç antik kilise ve ev mozaik döşemeleri, eksik figürel temsiller, dine aykırı düşünceler.