Mascarons In Dadiani Palace

Abstract

Mascarons are sculptural images of a human face or animal, carved from the back and attached to a flat base.

One group of mascarons combines fabulous creatures - griffins and similar images. Most of them are realistic images of lions, leopards, dogs, cats, eagles and others, but there are also a large number of characters from Greco-Roman mythology, such as Dionysus, the god of wine and vineyards, whose head is decorated with a vine wreath and a pine cone.

In architecture mascaron appeared in Italy in the 17th century and then spread to other European countries. Originally it created to scare souls, even though aesthetic beauty and visual greatness were no less important. Baroque and Renaissance furniture style is decorated with mascarons and griffins. Although, according to the architecture of that time the furniture is heavy and monumental, the mascarons depicted on it, bear this heaviness and are distinguished by their monumental nature.

It is known that the Principality of Samegrelo under the rule of Dadiani had quite good relations and kinship with France. The European style was an integral part of the life of the Dadiani Palace, therefore Ekaterina Chavchavadze-Dadiani and her children shared European education and under this influence, they set up their home; Furniture was specially ordered in different countries of Europe (Italy, France, Spain and England).

Salome Dadiani-Murat also inherited part of the furniture of Napoleon Bonaparte, including secretaries decorated with the faces of children and women.

There is not a single armchairs and chairs decorated with figures of lions, expressing the ideals of earthly domination; Pumps and wardrobes are loaded with the faces of women, men, young people, children, as well as fabulous-mythical characters, griffins, bucentaurs, satires and other images.