Its considered that the earliest monuments
(VIII-IX c.) of Georgian plique-à-jour are among the first examples
of anthropomorphic enamel culture.This state of effairs should not, however,
prevent us from examining whether indeed this art is of purely Georgian
origin, and consider that the Byzantine its offspung, as proposed by Daniel
Tour. Its difficult to agree with him that the jug of St Morris (VIII-IX
c.) is of Georgian origin, as stylistically it does not correspond with
the main features of Georgian enamel art of that period, but rather corresponds
to the Iranian traditions.
It should be borne in mind that David
Bakton tried to connect the beginning of the change from the Vollschmelz
(entire enamelling) into the Senkschmelz (drowned enamelling) process with
specific objects, mostly either Georgian (the creator’s quadrifolium
of Shemokmedi, 954) or Byzantine (bowl of Romanoz from San Marko, staphrotec
of Limburg, about 960).
It would be an exaggeration to ascribe
the formation and development of the plique-à-jour of the Middle
Ages to Georgia alone, although it probably played the major part. But
the great culture of the East, and quite different types of art, also influenced
it.