Bone and horn carving in decorative art of Kievan Rus in the 9th - the first half of the 11th centuries

The aim of the work is general characteristics of bone carving art of Kievan Rus. The source is the archaeological material of South and North Rus. The methodology includes iconographic and stylistic analysis; use of the results of archaeological dating. In the course of the study, the author characterized iconography, stylistics, symbolism, aesthetics of objects; arranged objects from different regions in a single chronological row according to the dates of archaeological sites and analogies; characterized bone carving in the context of the art of the period in accordance with the kinds of ornament. As a result, conclusions are drawn. The role of the kinds of ornament in the formation of artistic appearance of bone objects and in the formation of style is determined. Complication of geometric ornament in the 9th and 10th centuries destroys the harmony of products, but the rhythmic organization in the 10th and 11th centuries returns harmony. Abstract curvilinear ornament regularly and harmoniously fills the zones and effectively accentuates the shape of the object with grotesque motifs. Curvilinear irregular braided ornament tends to Scandinavian styles; the regular one creates the basis for their adaptation and formation of local styles. Examples of plant ornament demonstrate the development in Rus of Eurasian decorative elite style. Zoomorphic ornament complements the elongated household items with volumetric ends, accentuating their form and function. Some of zoomorphic ends on the horn tips of the 10th and early 11th centuries has Scandinavian style, others original geometrized forms. A number of works reflect a stylistic symbiosis: European and Byzantine traditions; Scandinavian and plant ornaments. The pagan semantics is noted: the crest from Pskov with a mythological plot, idol-like image of human face; other symbolic schemes. The semantics reduces the aesthetic level; accents contradict the rhythm and create disharmony. Some of the works correspond to the level of the folk art: household items and amulets with geometric and abstract curvilinear ornaments, simplified transfer of zoomorphic motifs. The other part corresponds to advanced elite art of the Viking Age: spread and use of Scandinavian, Byzantine, and Eurasian tendencies, the formation of mixed stylistic variants. Display in a simplified manner of Scandinavian ornamental patterns of the 10th-11th centuries indicates its mastering. The art of bone carving demonstrates the same laboratory of choice as other forms of decorative art in Rus. it is related with woodcarving in the active use of geometric and braided ornaments, generalized zoomorphic and idol-like images. Plant ornament is not as widespread as in embroidery, filigree, woodcarving, which emphasizes the stage of its formation. The traditions of folk art were combined with the Scandinavian, Byzantine, and Eurasian ones; the developed versions formed the basis for future styles of Kievan Rus.

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