2024-3-9 (Script)

2024-3-9 (Script) image

A black box with a plastic window to see inside it. A gold colored rectangle is on the top of this box with the text "Georgian Scripts" in Georgian and English. Inside the box is black felt with a black ribbon which is used to remove the main object from its recessed compartment. The object inside is a gold rectangle with Georgian script both engraved and in relief on both sides. The darker letters belong to the modern Georgian language. The lighter letters are ancient Georgian script and there are uppercase and lowercase versions of the older version of Georgian. However, modern Georgian just has one case and does not use upper and lowercase letters. The letters at the bottom are the English versions or the phonetic sounds being represented. Forming a border around the rectangle is the text in Georgian, Russian, and English, "Georgian Scripts", "The intangible cultural heritage of humanity", and "living culture of three writing systems of the Georgian alphabet". The flip side of the bar has the Georgian Coat of Arms in the center. A folded paper inside the box explains the script further and tells, in Georgian and English, how three Georgian scripts (Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri, & Mkhedruli) were added to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list by UNESCO in 2016. Georgia is the only country who uses Georgian script and language so it is considered endangered. It is spoken today by the older generation who speaks both Georgian and Russian while the younger generations speak Georgian and English. This script was a gift to the former U.S. Ambassador to Georgia (Kelly Degnan, 2020-2023) who donated it to a third party upon leaving Georgia.

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2024-3-9 (Script) image