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Georgian Carved Altar Screen from Tsebelda
featuring St. Eustace Placidus as a cavalryman
178 Detail of a stone altar screen, sixth/seventh century, from Tsebelda Church. (S.N. Dyanashiya State Museum of Georgia)
Source: p.165, David Nicolle, "An introduction to arms and warfare in classical Islam", in: Islamic Arms and Armour, ed. Robert Elgood, London 1979
Referenced on p.13, The Armies of Islam 7th-11th Centuries by David Nicolle & Angus McBride
Carved altar screen from Tsebelda in Georgia, sometimes regarded as 6th-7th century; but the mounted figure of St Eustace on the lower border is clearly later. His turban with its long trailing 'rafraf', his heavy stirrups and his large, rounded saddle cloth probably date the piece to the 9th or 10th centuries, when Georgia was under Muslim rule and its armies reflected Iranian influence. (State Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi)
Referenced as figure 412 in The military technology of classical Islam by D Nicolle
412A and 412B. Carved altar screen from Tsebelda church, A - St. Eustace Placidus, B - Guards at the Tomb, 9th-10th centuries AD, Georgian, S.N. Djanashiya State Museum, Tbilisi (Ric A, Elg).
Vol 2, p.349: From the comparable, though more northern, border region of Georgia comes the finest available contemporary picture of a warrior in probably Muslim equipment. It is generally regarded as 6th or 7th century, but the distinctly Muslim-Iranian harness, saddle and stirrups of the rider in question (Fig. 412) almost certainly place him in the 9th or 10th centuries. His turban and baldric make him look like an Arab while he might also be wearing a mail hauberk.
