A royal charter of King George IV of Georgia with his khelrtva. AD 1222. Kept at the National Archives of Georgia in Tbilisi.
A royal charter of King George IV of Georgia with his khelrtva. AD 1222. Kept at the National Archives of Georgia in Tbilisi.

A khelrtva (Georgian: ხელრთვა, pronounced [χɛlɾtʰvɑ]) is a Georgian calligraphic signature, monogram or seal, originally used by the Georgian monarchs, queens consort, patriarchs, royalty and nobility.[1][2][3]

The word khelrtva literally means 'to decorate, adorn or beautify with hand' in Georgian, kheli (ხელი) meaning a hand and rtva (რთვა) meaning to decorate or adorn.

Khelrtva signatures were written in one of the three Georgian scripts, mostly in Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli scripts, though the monograms especially the royal ones were written in Asomtavruli script. Every Georgian monarch had their own individual khelrtva and was known as საუფლოჲ ხელი (sauploy kheli) literally meaning 'Hand of the Lord'. The tradition of khelrtvas is still in use in Georgia.[4]

Khelrtvas

Kings

David IV signature.svg

Khelrtva of King
David IV
George IV signature.svg

Khelrtva of King
George IV
Archil of Imereti signature.svg

Khelrtva of King
Archil
Vakhtang VI signature.svg

Khelrtva of King
Vakhtang VI
Solomon I of Imereti signature.svg

Khelrtva of King
Solomon I
George XII of Georgia signature.svg

Khelrtva of King
George XII,
last Georgian monarch

Queens regnant

Tamar signature.svg

Khelrtva of Queen
Tamar
Queen Rusudan khelrtva signature.svg

Khelrtva of Queen
Rusudan

Queens consort

Rusudan of Kartli, khelrtva (vect).svg

Khelrtva of Queen consort
Rusudan of Circassia
Mariam Dadiani signature (vect).svg

Khelrtva of Queen consort
Mariam Dadiani

Patriarchs

Joseph of Abkhazia, khelrtva (vect).svg

Asomtavruli khelrtva of Patriarch
Joseph
Anton II, khelrtva (vect).svg

Khelrtva of Patriarch
Anton II
Ilia II of Georgia

Khelrtva of Patriarch
Ilia II

Presidents, Prime Ministers, Speakers

Mikheil Saakashvili Signature.svg

Khelrtva of
President Mikheil Saakashvili
PM Gakharia signature (vect).svg

Khelrtva of
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia
Irakli Kobakhidze signature.svg

Khelrtva of
Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze

See also

References

  1. ^ 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.]{
  2. ^ National Parliamentary Library of Georgia: ხელრთვა
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ Sinauridze, A. Hand of the Lord Karibche, 04.02.2010

External links

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