Realistic images-"masks" in medieval Central Asia: portrait or symbol

The paper aims to study the group of medieval toreutics of small forms - realistic images from the regions of Central Asa (in the broad sense of the term) as the phenomenon of art and culture of the Turkic-speaking nomads and their neighbors. The attention is paid to the place of this kind of objects in the system of spiritual and world outlook views of the owners of such ornaments. The research sources are the non-ferrous metal items (mainly belt ornaments of horses and horsemen) of the end of the 1st - beginning of the 2nd millennia AD, which have a shape or a decor in the form of realistic images. The specificity of the topic assumes a comprehensive approach to study of the main source. Therefore, in addition to systematization, analysis of iconography, some ethnographic materials were used. Pendants shaped as human faces and face images on small toreutics pieces are concentrated in two large Central Asia regions: the Sayan and Altai Mountains (Sayan-Altai) and the Chui valley of the Tien Shan. The latter is known for the concentration of medieval hillforts. Main finds of the region are concentrated in Krasnorechenskoye. Materials from the Sayan-Altai are mainly represented by objects from burials and random finds. They are characterized as a “portrait”. It allows judging not only about the image’ features, yet even about their anthropological type. The latter is comparable both with paleoanthropological and modern materials (Fig. 1, 1-15, 24). For the Tien Shan materials, which have a regional identity of “portrait” images (Fig. 1, 16-19, 22, 23, 27), that have analogies from the Sayan-Altai, a significant peculiarity is revealed. Intimidating features been given to the realistic “portraits”, that turned them into terioanthro-pomorphic masks (Fig. 1, 20, 21). The reasons for this require special study. The semantics of such images had a different basis than realistic ones. In both cases the anthropomorphic images had their semantics. Realistic were not just portraits, but represented generalizing images related to the world outlook and spiritual views of the regions’ population. The objects that adorned the horse and horseman in the first place were always given special meaning. This is evidenced by ethnographic materials. Pictorial “plots” could have a religious content (Fig. 2). The masks of a terrifying look had a deterrent and guarding function. Realistic faces’ images could contain not only a “spirit” of some person, but also a generalized type with the distinctive properties of strength, courage, etc.; but also of a tribal kind and ancestors. They were semantically endowed with the power of an entire kind according to the traditional beliefs of shamanism. They had guarding functions as well as were the conjuring of well-being (victory, life) to warriors and others.

Keywords

Authors

References