Khelrtva

A khelrtva (Georgian: ხელრთვა, lit.'graced by hand')[a] is a Georgian calligraphic joined-up[1] style signature, monogram or seal, originally used by the Georgian monarchs, queens consort, patriarchs, royalty and nobility,[2][3][4] universally used since the early eleventh century.[5]

Khelrtva signatures were written in one of the three Georgian scripts, mostly in Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli scripts, though the monograms particularly the royal ones were designed in Asomtavruli script. Every Georgian monarch had their own individual khelrtva and was known as საუფლოჲ ხელი[6] (sauploy kheli) literally meaning 'Hand of the Lord'. The tradition of khelrtvas is still in use in Georgia.[7]

Khelrtvas

Kings

Queens regnant

Queens consort

Patriarchs

Presidents, Prime Ministers, Speakers

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The term literally means 'to grace, decorate, adorn or beautify with hand', kheli (ხელი) meaning a hand and rtva (რთვა), to decorate; adorn.

References

  1. ^ Rayfield, Donald (2006) A Comprehensive Georgian-English Dictionary, location 266910, Garnet Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9535878-3-4
  2. ^ საგამომცემლო ლექსიკონი/ავტ.-შემდგ.: ვახტანგ დოხნაძე; [რედ.: მურმან სუხიშვილი; მხატვ.: ვახტანგ რურუა]. - [მე-2 შესწ. და შევს. გამოც.]. - თბ.: საგამომც. საქმის სასწ. ცენტრი, 2006. - 305გვ.; 20სმ.. - ბიბლიოგრ.: გვ. 301–304. (Publishing dictionary, edited by: Vakhtang Dokhnadze; Ed. Murman Sukhishvili; Artist: Vakhtang Rurua, Case Study Center, 2006. Bibliography: p. 301–304. - ISBN 99928-998-1-6 : [ფ.ა.]
  3. ^ National Parliamentary Library of Georgia: ხელრთვა
  4. ^ ეროვნულ არქივში XI – XVIII საუკუნეების დოკუმენტებზე არსებული ხელრთვების კატალოგი მომზადდა (A catalog of carvings on documents of the XI - XVIII centuries in the National Archives) Archived 2014-03-10 at the Wayback Machine National Archives of Georgia
  5. ^ Kviris Palitra (2015) ქართველ მეფეთა ხელრთვანი (Khelrtvas of the Georgian kings), [online publication date: 2017, August 19]
  6. ^ Makharadze, Z. (2000) Archives of Georgia, Dictionary, Publishing Dixie, Tbilisi, p. 42
  7. ^ Sinauridze, A. Hand of the Lord Karibche, 04.02.2010