View source for Khelrtva

{{Short description|Style of Georgian calligraphic signature}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva|nocat=y}}}}
[[File:1222 წელი. ბრძანება ლაშა გიორგისა.jpg|thumb|A [[royal charter]] of King [[George IV of Georgia]] with his ''khelrtva''. AD 1222. Kept at the [[National Archives of Georgia]] in [[Tbilisi]].]] 
A '''{{lang|ka-Latn|khelrtva}}''' ({{lang-ka|ხელრთვა}}, {{IPA|ka|χeɫɾtʰʷa|pron}}) is a [[Georgian calligraphy|Georgian calligraphic]] [[signature]], [[monogram]] or [[Seal (emblem)|seal]], originally used by the [[List of monarchs of Georgia|Georgian monarchs]], [[List of consorts of Georgia|queens consort]], [[List of heads of the Georgian Orthodox Church|patriarchs]], royalty and nobility,<ref>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.]</ref><ref>National Parliamentary Library of Georgia: ხელრთვა</ref><ref>[https://www.archives.gov.ge/index.php?page=71d9030c2fda3ea1fe12c3170d3348c7&news_id=163 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'')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310111236/http://www.archives.gov.ge/index.php?page=71d9030c2fda3ea1fe12c3170d3348c7&news_id=163 |date=2014-03-10 }} National Archives of Georgia</ref> universally used since the early eleventh century.<ref>''[[Kviris Palitra]]'' (2015) [https://kvirispalitra.ge/article/36524-qarthvel-mefetha-khelrthvani/ ქართველ მეფეთა ხელრთვანი (''Khelrtvas of the Georgian kings'')], [online publication date: 2017, August 19]</ref>

The word {{lang|ka-Latn|khelrtva}} literally means 'to [[wikt:Special:Search/decoration|decorate]], adorn or beautify with hand' in Georgian, {{lang|ka-Latn|kheli}} ({{wikt-lang|ka|ხელი}}) meaning a hand and {{lang|ka|rtva}} ({{lang|ka|რთვა}}) meaning to decorate or adorn.

{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} signatures were written in one of the three [[Georgian scripts]], mostly in {{lang|ka-Latn|[[Nuskhuri]]}} and {{lang|ka-Latn|[[Mkhedruli]]}} scripts, though the [[monogram]]s especially the royal ones were written in {{lang|ka-Latn|[[Asomtavruli]]}} script. Every Georgian monarch had their own individual {{lang|ka-Latn|khelrtva}} and was known as {{lang|ka|საუფლოჲ ხელი}} ({{lang|ka-Latn|sauploy kheli}}) literally meaning 'Hand of the Lord'. The tradition of {{lang|ka-Latn|khelrtvas}} is still in use in Georgia.<ref>Sinauridze, A. [http://karibche.ambebi.ge/skhvadaskhva/skhvadaskhva/5312-qkheli-saufloiq.html Hand of the Lord] Karibche, 04.02.2010</ref>

==Khelrtvas==
===Kings===
<gallery mode="nolines">
Khelrtva of Bagrat IV (vect).svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of King [[Bagrat IV of Georgia|Bagrat IV]]
File:George IV signature.svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of King [[George IV of Georgia|George IV]]
File:Vakhtang VI signature.svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of King [[Vakhtang VI]]
File:Solomon II of Imereti signature.svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of King [[Solomon II]]
File:George XII of Georgia signature.svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of King [[George XII]]
</gallery>

===Queens regnant===
<gallery mode="nolines">
File:Tamar signature.svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of Queen [[Tamar of Georgia|Tamar]]
File:Queen Rusudan khelrtva signature.svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of Queen [[Rusudan of Georgia|Rusudan]]
</gallery>

===Queens consort===
<gallery mode="nolines">
File:Ketevan the Martyr, khelrtva (vect).svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of Queen consort [[Ketevan the Martyr]]
File:Nestan Darejan of Imereti, khelrtva (vect).svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of Queen consort [[Darejan of Kakheti]]
File:Mariam Dadiani signature (vect).svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of Queen consort [[Mariam Dadiani (1783–1841)|Mariam Dadiani]]
</gallery>

===Patriarchs===
<gallery mode="nolines">
File:Zachary of Georgia, khelrtva (vect).svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of Patriarch [[Zachary of Georgia|Zachary]]
File:Joseph of Abkhazia, khelrtva (vect).svg|''[[Asomtavruli]]'' {{lang|ka-Latn|khelrtva}} of Patriarch [[Joseph, Catholicos of Abkhazia|Joseph]]
File:Anton II, khelrtva (vect).svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of Patriarch [[Anton II of Georgia|Anton II]]
File:Ilia II of Georgia's signature.svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of Patriarch [[Ilia II of Georgia|Ilia II]]
</gallery>

===Presidents, Prime Ministers, Speakers===
<gallery mode="nolines">
File:Salome Zurabishvili-signature.svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of President [[Salome Zurabishvili]]
File:Irakli Kobakhidze signature.svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of Prime Minister [[Irakli Kobakhidze]]
File:Papuashvili signature (vect).svg|{{lang|ka-Latn|Khelrtva}} of Speaker [[Shalva Papuashvili]]
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Huaya]] ({{langx|ja|花押}}), stylised calligraphic signatures used in East Asia
* [[Tughra]] ({{langx|ota|طغرا}}), stylised Arabic signatures used by [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] sultans

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://manuscripts.imiviron.gr/vignettes-and-monograms/ Khelrtva: Vignettes and Monograms] Γεωργιανά Χειρόγραφα Ιεράς Μονής Ιβήρων Αγίου Όρους
* ჯიმშერ რეხვიაშვილი [http://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/content/istoriisa-da-khelnatserebis-msveneba/26846428.html ხელრთვა - ისტორიისა და ხელნაწერის მშვენება] (''Jimsher Rekhviashvili - The Beauty of History and Manuscript'') [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305094156/http://24saati.ge/news/story/17329-otkhi-restavrirebuli-etrati ოთხი რესტავრირებული ეტრატი] "განადგურებას გადარჩენილი საბუთები საცავში ბრუნდება" თამარ კიკნაველიძე, 24 საათი (''Four Restored Etrats Documents Surviving the Destruction Returned to the Repository, Tamar Kiknavelidze'')
{{Personal names}}

[[Category:Georgian words and phrases]]
[[Category:Georgian calligraphy]]
[[Category:Signature]]
[[Category:Monograms]]