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Churches built of stone, obviously, lend themselves quite easily to carved
and sculpted ornamentation, and for this reason Armenian churches have much
more sculpture than Byzantine churches, built for the most part from brick.
Form the sixth century on; Armenian churches were decorated with various
kinds of sculpture. No doubt there was a great deal of that art practiced
before Christianity came to the country but, as we have noted, Gregory the
Illuminator's destruction of all pagan vestiges was deliberate and thorough.
The themes of the sculpture which adorns the facades of the churches often recall those used for mosaics or wall paintings inside the churches. Often there is a quarter-length figure of Christ, or the Virgin and Child. One of the things which differentiate Armenian Church sculpture from that of Egypt and Syria is the greater use in Armenia of figure sculpture, rather than stylized floral and geometric designs. These figures often include the donors of the churches, who apparently liked to have themselves and their contribution immortalized on the face of the building. On the church at Men, for example, the church's founder and another man who was probably the feudal lord of the province are depicted turning, with their hands extended in prayer, toward a central group of Christ and various saints. Zvatnots is unusual in that the figures on its façade are not those of the donor. Instead, there are figures of men holding spades, hammers, and other tools in all likelihood the workmen who completed the church's construction. Another figure, bearded and holding a measuring device, is apparently the church's architect.
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