Lazar Bohsha (Belarusian: Лазар Богша; fl. 12th century) was a goldsmith whom Euphrosyne of Polotsk (a princess of the Principality of Polotsk) commissioned to make a precious communion cross for the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour [be; ru] in 1161. The cross became a revered Belarusian relic known as the Cross of Saint Euphrosyne. Lazar engraved his name on the backside of the cross, thus making it known to the descendants.
It is extremely rare for an artwork of this era to bear any indication of the exact date of its creation as well as the artist's name. A number of anonymous art pieces of the same period made in a similar artistic technique are attributed to Lazar Bohsha and are considered to be the best examples of enamel art of Ancient Rus. Preserved art pieces of the same technique but of a later period are attributed to Lazar's students.
By origin, Lazar was a descendant from the Western Slavs (specifically, South-Western Rus'). Lazar is his christening name, while Bohsha is an abbreviation of his pagan name Boguslav, which was a popular name among Western Slavs in the 12th century. There is no information about where he learned the enameling art. It is believed to be either Byzantine or Georgia (which was the first country to adopt this art form from Byzantine). It is assumed that Lazar learned the art when he was young and worked on this technique all his life.
References
- "Преподобная Евфросиния Полоцкая".
- "Лазарь Богша. Крест Евфросинии Полоцкой (1161 г.)".
- "Копия креста Евфросинии Полоцкой появится в Могилеве".
- "Ten centuries and one exhibition".
- Игошев, В. В. (2002). Богша Лазарь // Православная энциклопедия. p. 559. ISBN 5-89572-010-2.
- Тихомиров, М. Н. (1946). Древнерусские города. M. p. 85.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Толстой, И; Кондаков, Н (1899). Русские древности в памятниках искусства. СПб. p. 170.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Алексеев, Л.В. (1996). "Мастер-эмальер Лазарь Богша // Крест — хранитель всея Вселенныя : История создания и воссоздания креста преподобной Евфросинии, игумении Полоцкой". Вестник Белорусского экзархата (in Russian). Minsk: 126.
- Алексеев, Л.В. (1957). "Лазарь Богша". мастер-ювелир XII в. // СА. (in Russian). 3.
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