Catalogue - Metropolitan Museum of Art

68 (Color plate 10)
This scabbard combines a Scythian shape,
proper for the Scythian sword, with a
scheme of decoration devised by a Greek
(see also no. 170). It is divided into
three parts: a top band into which the
kidney-shaped guard of the hilt fitted; a
triangular extension that represents the
leather flap by means of which the scabbard
was attached to the belt; and the sheath
proper. The artist has respected these
divisions. On top he has put 2 heraldic
griffins, which are thus parallel to the
animals on the sword's pommel. In the
triangular "flap" he has put a very
large griffin attacking a stag, and on the
long, tapering sheath he has depicted
a battle of Greeks and Persians. The
composition recalls certain Greek
architectural friezes of the late 5th-early
4th century B.C. (temple of Athena
Nike in Athens, Bassae, Trysa), which in
turn may echo the picture of the battle of
Marathon in the Painted Porch at Athens.
Scabbard decorated with fighting beasts,
and Greeks battling Persians. Gold, length
54.4 cm. (21% in.).
Greek workmanship, 4th century B.C.
Ukrainian SSR, Dnepropetrovsk region,
Chertomlyk kurgan. Excavations of I. E.
Zabelin, 1863. Hermitage, Dn 1863, 1/447.
Artamonov, Splendor, pls. 183,185.
69 (Color plate 11)
The decoration, pure Greek in style, shows
a woman whose lower extremities
terminate symmetrically in lion-griffins,
eagle-griffins, and, finally, two snakes
that issue from an acanthus flower.
Bridle frontlet, plaque with a representation
of a woman with snake legs, possibly the
snake-legged Scythian goddess referred to
by Herodotus. Gold, height 41.4 cm.
(165/6 in.).
Greek workmanship, 4th century B.C.
Ukrainian SSR, Melitopol region,
Tsimbalka kurgan. Excavations of
I. E. Zabelin, 1868. Hermitage, Dn 1868, 1/8.
Artamonov, Splendor, pl. 186; D. S.
Raevsky;'Skifsky mifologichesky suzhet,"
SA (1970), no. 3, p. 90.
70 (Color plate 11)
The shape of this libation bowl is
thoroughly Greek, as is perhaps the
execution, but the scheme of decorationa
fluid profusion that covers most of the
surface-betrays a non-Greek taste and is
closer to the Scythian preference that
rejected rigid organization. There are 56
animals in 3 zones or 7 sectors; the
lions predominate, and it is significant that
most of the victims are horses.
Libation bowl (phiale) decorated with lions
and panthers attacking stags and horses.
Gold, diameter 21.8 cm. (8% in.), weight
865 gr.
Greek workmanship, beginning of the
4th century B.C. Ukrainian SSR, Melitopol
region, Solokha kurgan. Excavations of
N. I. Veselovsky, 1913. Hermitage, Dn 1913,
1/48.
A. P. Mantsevich, "Greben i fiala iz kurgana
Solokha," SA (1950), no. 13, pp. 217-238;
Artamonov, Splendor, pls. 157-159.
71 (Color plates 12, 13)
The group is worked in relief on both sides,
giving the illusion of being sculptured
in the round. In Western art, the direction
of the victor is usually from left to right,
so the side of the comb giving the horseman
and his squire the left half of the scene is
probably the principal one. Their opponent
has been thrown off his mount, which
lies helplessly on its back. Dress and armor
combine local costume with such Greek
elements as the Corinthian helmet on
the rider and the metal cuirasses.
The workmanship is purely Greek and
may go back to the last quarter of the 5th
century B.C., though some scholars have
connected the rider with the Attic tomb
relief of Dexileos, which is dated 394 B.C.
Comb ornamented with three warriors
in combat, and five crouching lions below.
Gold, height 12.6 cm. (4:3/16 in.), width
10.2 cm. (41546 in.).
Greek workmanship, beginning of the
4th century B.C. Ukrainian SSR, Melitopol
region, Solokha kurgan. Excavations of
N. I. Veselovsky, 1913. Hermitage, Dn 1913,
1/1.
Mantsevich, "Greben i fiala iz kurgana
Solokha," pp. 217-238; Artamonov, Splendor,
pls. 147,148,150.
109