Pre-Romanesque interlace sculpture: A problem of stone motif terminology

Abstract

Stone sculpture from the period between the beginning of the 8th and the end of the 10th centuries is characteristic for interlace compositions adorning church furniture and architectural elements of the time. In studying Pre-Romanesque stone fragments with interlace motifs and their interpretations in scholarly literature uncoordinated terminology becomes prominent. From the very beginnings of archaeology and art history in Croatia, in the 19th century terms for motifs carved in stone on Early Medieval interlace reliefs were introduced. In the Eastern Adriatic area motifs have usually been given names by translation of terminology from foreign literature (Italian or German). Different authors use various variants in describing motifs executed in interlace. By taking into account compositions of motifs on Early Medieval interlace reliefs and their interpretation in scholarly literature, inconsistency in the terminology of relief motifs is noted. Nomenclature of motifs, i.e. terminology, is truly important in order for to be able to discuss certain manifestations, but sometimes it could lead the researcher onto the wrong path. Differentiation of terms and objective coordination of different terminology for the same concepts, i.e. equal terminology for different concepts is necessary, always bearing in mind the period in which a certain term is used as well as its true origin.