Catalogue - Metropolitan Museum of Art
Catalogue - Metropolitan Museum of Art Catalogue - Metropolitan Museum of Art
122 136 (Color plate 25) Cheekpieces of horses' bridles were often of wood or staghorn, with terminals carved to resemble the heads of fantastic animals. At one end of this piece is a creature with feline fangs and the horns and ears of a mountain goat, and at the other appears a bird of prey with an exaggeratedly curved beak and a curled crest. Cheekpiece decorated with heads. Wood, length 18 cm. (7/, in.). Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Altai, Pazyryk, kurgan 3. Excavations of S. I. Rudenko, 1948. Hermitage, 1685/109. Rudenko, Kultura Gornogo Altaya, pl. LVI, 3. 137 Fantastic bird's head, from a bridle frontlet. Wood, leather, and gold, height 15 cm. (55/1 6 in.). Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Altai, Pazyryk, kurgan 3. Excavations of S. I. Rudenko, 1948. Hermitage, 1685/396. Rudenko, Kultura Gornogo Altaya, pl. LXXII, 1. 137 i. 138 138 Griffin's head, from a bridle frontlet. Wood, leather, and gold, height 21.5 cm. (8Y in.). Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Altai, Pazyryk, kurgan 3. Excavations of S. I. Rudenko, 1948. Hermitage, 1685/397. Rudenko, Kultura Gornogo Altaya, pl. LXXII, 2. 139 Mountain ram, harness plaque. Wood and leather, height 10.4 cm. (41/s in.). Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Altai, Pazyryk, kurgan 3. Excavations of S. I. Rudenko, 1948. Hermitage, 1685/151. Rudenko, Kultura Gornogo Altaya, pi. LI. 140 (Color plate 25) At first glance, the ornament on this plaque seems to be purely geometrical, but on closer examination it turns out to consist of two elks' heads facing outward. Their stylization into sweeping curves emphasized by parallel incised lines results in a complex, highly pleasing pattern. Elks' heads, saddle plaque. Horn, length 13 cm. (51/s in.). Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Altai, Pazyryk, kurgan 3. Excavations of S. I. Rudenko, 1947. Hermitage, 1685/258. Rudenko, Kultura Gornogo Altaya, pi. XVIII, 1. 141 Stylized tiger's face, saddle plaque. Horn, length 12.5 cm. (47/% in.). Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Altai, Pazyryk, kurgan 3. Excavations of S. I. Rudenko, 1948. Hermitage, 1685/262. Rudenko, Kultura Gornogo Altaya, P1. XVIII, 2. 142 This cauldron is unusual in design and shape. The three separate legs are in the form of the foreparts of rams and the feet of camels. Three-legged cauldron with sculptured heads of rams on the legs. Bronze, height 62 cm. (243/ in.). Altai nomadic, 5th-3rd centuries B.C. Kargalinka river near Alma-Ata. Chance find, 1893. Hermitage, 1654/1. Smirnova, Domansky, Drevnee iskusstvo, p. 176, pi. 68. 139
The Culture of Siberia 143 Stag, finial. Bronze, height 11 cm. (414 in.). Altai nomadic, 7th-6th century B.C. Location of find unknown. Paskevich Collection. Hermitage, 1668/1. Artamonov, Sokrovishcha sakov, p. 105, fig. 142. 144 (Color plate 26) The extreme simplification of the animal's body and the pose with feet drawn together at the base are hallmarks of the "animal style" of Siberia and Mongolia. Mountain goat, finial, probably from a pole of a funerary couch. Bronze, height 18.8 cm. (7/8 in.). Altai nomadic, 6th century B.C. Chance find. Bought in the town of Krasnoyarsk by G. F. Miller, 1735. Hermitage, 1121/7. Smirnova, Domansky, Drevnee iskusstvo, p. 65. 145 Battle axe with a predatory animal on the butt end. Bronze, length 18.5 cm. (7?4 in.). Altai nomadic, 6th-5th century B.C. Krasnoyarsk region, Upper Pit river. I. A. Lopatin Collection. Hermitage, 5531/189. M. P. Gryaznov, Southern Siberia (Geneva, 1969), pl. 38. 146 149 The ring-shaped paws and curled body of the feline on the handle of this knife are similar to the stylizations of Scythian animals in the area of the Black Sea coast. Knife with a predatory animal and four stags on the handle. Bronze, length 28.7 cm. (1l15A6in.). Altai nomadic, 6th century B.C. Tuva, Turan region. Chance find. Purchase, S. A. Teploukhov, 1927. Hermitage, 5130/2. Gryaznov, Southern Siberia, pl. 31. 147 Vessel. Earthenware, height 14 cm. (52 in.). Tagar culture, 6th century B.C. Minusinsk region, Turan burial 1, kurgan 3. Excavations of A.D. Grach, 1963. Hermitage, 2463/33. Gryaznov, Southern Siberia, pl. 42. 148 Bronzes of the second half of the first millennium B.C. from the Minusinsk region illustrate the continuation of older forms developed there, such as knives with inward-curving blades and handles terminating in stylized animals. They were clearly influenced by bronzes of the Ordos region in China. Knife with a mountain goat on the handle. Bronze, length 18.8 cm. (73/8 in.). Altai nomadic, 6th century B.C. Minusinsk region, Beyskoye village. Purchase, 1924. Hermitage, 1667/1. G. Borovka, Scythian Art (London, 1928), pl. 39e. Knife with a wild boar and two fish on the handle. Bronze, length 19.4 cm. (75/s in.). Altai nomadic, 6th-5th century B.C. Minusinsk region, Koryakovo village. Chance find. I. A. Lopatin Collection. Hermitage, 5531/926. V. V. Radlov, Sibirskie drevnosti 1 (St. Petersburg, 1888), no. 1, pl. IV, 13. 150 Stag, plaque. Bronze, length 6.8 cm. (21,i6 in.). Altai nomadic, 5th century B.C. Minusinsk region, Maliy Talek village. Purchase, 1937. Hermitage, 1293/198. Unpublished. 151 Cheekpiece decorated with birds' heads. Bronze, length 13.8 cm. (51/ in.). Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Minusinsk region. Chance find, 1863. V. V. Radlov Collection. Hermitage, 1123/47. Artamonov, Sokrovishcha sakov, p. 92, fig. 117. 152 Dagger with bird's heads on the hilt and a wolf on the guard. Bronze, length 26 cm. (1014 in.). Altai nomadic, 5th-3rd centuries B.C. Minusinsk region. Chance find. Collection of V. V. Radlov, 1863. Hermitage, 1123/56. Gryaznov, Southern Siberia, pl. 28. .... - ~d r--. 146 148 149 123
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122<br />
136 (Color plate 25)<br />
Cheekpieces <strong>of</strong> horses' bridles were <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
<strong>of</strong> wood or staghorn, with terminals<br />
carved to resemble the heads <strong>of</strong> fantastic<br />
animals. At one end <strong>of</strong> this piece is a<br />
creature with feline fangs and the horns<br />
and ears <strong>of</strong> a mountain goat, and at<br />
the other appears a bird <strong>of</strong> prey with an<br />
exaggeratedly curved beak and a curled<br />
crest.<br />
Cheekpiece decorated with heads. Wood,<br />
length 18 cm. (7/, in.).<br />
Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Altai,<br />
Pazyryk, kurgan 3. Excavations <strong>of</strong> S. I.<br />
Rudenko, 1948. Hermitage, 1685/109.<br />
Rudenko, Kultura Gornogo Altaya,<br />
pl. LVI, 3.<br />
137<br />
Fantastic bird's head, from a bridle frontlet.<br />
Wood, leather, and gold, height 15 cm.<br />
(55/1 6 in.).<br />
Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Altai,<br />
Pazyryk, kurgan 3. Excavations <strong>of</strong> S. I.<br />
Rudenko, 1948. Hermitage, 1685/396.<br />
Rudenko, Kultura Gornogo Altaya,<br />
pl. LXXII, 1.<br />
137<br />
i.<br />
138<br />
138<br />
Griffin's head, from a bridle frontlet. Wood,<br />
leather, and gold, height 21.5 cm. (8Y in.).<br />
Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Altai,<br />
Pazyryk, kurgan 3. Excavations <strong>of</strong> S. I.<br />
Rudenko, 1948. Hermitage, 1685/397.<br />
Rudenko, Kultura Gornogo Altaya,<br />
pl. LXXII, 2.<br />
139<br />
Mountain ram, harness plaque. Wood and<br />
leather, height 10.4 cm. (41/s in.).<br />
Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Altai,<br />
Pazyryk, kurgan 3. Excavations <strong>of</strong> S. I.<br />
Rudenko, 1948. Hermitage, 1685/151.<br />
Rudenko, Kultura Gornogo Altaya, pi. LI.<br />
140 (Color plate 25)<br />
At first glance, the ornament on this<br />
plaque seems to be purely geometrical, but<br />
on closer examination it turns out to<br />
consist <strong>of</strong> two elks' heads facing outward.<br />
Their stylization into sweeping curves<br />
emphasized by parallel incised lines results<br />
in a complex, highly pleasing pattern.<br />
Elks' heads, saddle plaque. Horn, length<br />
13 cm. (51/s in.).<br />
Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Altai,<br />
Pazyryk, kurgan 3. Excavations <strong>of</strong> S. I.<br />
Rudenko, 1947. Hermitage, 1685/258.<br />
Rudenko, Kultura Gornogo Altaya,<br />
pi. XVIII, 1.<br />
141<br />
Stylized tiger's face, saddle plaque. Horn,<br />
length 12.5 cm. (47/% in.).<br />
Altai nomadic, 5th-4th century B.C. Altai,<br />
Pazyryk, kurgan 3. Excavations <strong>of</strong> S. I.<br />
Rudenko, 1948. Hermitage, 1685/262.<br />
Rudenko, Kultura Gornogo Altaya,<br />
P1. XVIII, 2.<br />
142<br />
This cauldron is unusual in design and<br />
shape. The three separate legs are in the<br />
form <strong>of</strong> the foreparts <strong>of</strong> rams and the<br />
feet <strong>of</strong> camels.<br />
Three-legged cauldron with sculptured<br />
heads <strong>of</strong> rams on the legs. Bronze, height<br />
62 cm. (243/ in.).<br />
Altai nomadic, 5th-3rd centuries B.C.<br />
Kargalinka river near Alma-Ata. Chance<br />
find, 1893. Hermitage, 1654/1.<br />
Smirnova, Domansky, Drevnee iskusstvo,<br />
p. 176, pi. 68.<br />
139
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