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IJCC, Vol, 6, No. 2, 69〜82(2003)

A Study on the Scythian Torque

Moon-Ja Kim Professor, Dept, of & Textiles, Suwon University (Received May 2, 2003)

Abstract

The had a veritable passion for adornment, delighting in decorating themselves no less than their horses and belongings. Their love of was expressed at every turn. The most magnificent pieces naturally come from the royal . In the of the neck and chest the Scythian had a massive Torques, a symbol of power, made of gold, turquoise, cornelian coral and even . The entire surface of the torque, like that of many of the other artefacts, is decorated with depictions of animals. Scythian Torques are worn with the decorative terminals to the front. It was put a Torque on, grasped both terminals and placed the opening at the back of the neck. It is possible the Torque signified its wearer's religious leadership responsibilities. Scythian Torques were divided into several types according to the shape, Torque with Terminal style, Spiral style, Layers style, Crown style, Crescent-shaped pectoral style.

Key words : Crescent-shaped pectoral style, Layers style, Scythian Torque, Spiral style, Terminal style

role in the Scythian kingdom belonged to no­ I • Introduction mads and it conformed to nomadic life. A vivid description of the of the Scythian kings The Scythians originated in the central Asian and of ordinary members of the Scythian co­ sometime in the early first millennium, mmunity is contained in Herodotus' History. The BC. After migrating into what is present-day basic characteristics of the Scythian funeral , they flourished, from the seventh to the ritual ( beneath according to a third centuries, BC, over a vast expanse of the rite for lating body in its grave) remained un­ that stretched from the , east changed throughout the entire Scythian period.^ across what is modem Ukraine and east of the No less remarkable are the articles from the into . Invincible for nearly four burial mounds of Scythian chiefs (5th to 4th centuries, the Scythians were a people of great centuries BC), executed in the Greco-Scythian skill and unrelenting ferocity. They style and decorated with scenes from a Scythian were also extremely influential patrons of the heroic epic. arts, and left behind an extraordinary legacy of All these objects were lavishly decorated, both ruthless conquest and lavish artifacts. though the finest ornamentation was carried out The culture of the Scythian period was on valuable metal vessels, articles of personal created and existed in an era when the leading adornment and the gold plaques intended as

E-mail : [email protected] 1 Sinor Denis, The Cambridge History of Early Inner , (Cambridge University Press, 1990), 108-109.

-69 2 A Study on the Scythian Torque IJCC trimming, as well as on weapons and they possess is the graves of the forefathers. horse trappings:〉 The royal b나 rials are situated, according to Many of the works of art are in the animal Herodotus, in an area called Gerri. Even though style associated with the central Asian steppes, it is in the uttermost , it is not described as while others reflect influence from ancient Near particularly mysterious. The fact that we have Eastern c마 tures. Still other objects reveal a fu­ not been able to establish the location with any sion of the animal style with Near Eastern certainty is a problem without any bearing to motifs and Greek iconography and style. Rich the narrative of Herodotus itself. Nothing in the evidence of this sophisticated, artistic dialogue text allows the assumption that it is mere constitutes an intriguing new in archae­ fairytale, and the rituals described do seem to ological research. agree accurately with the testimony of archae­ Since Scythians on the whole were not a ology and ethnography. The so-called settled people they did not leave their art in graves are scattered all over the Scythian cul­ architecture or on monuments. Their art is pri­ tural sphere, and all these sites have probable marily ornamental. In a nomadic society where been considered the centre of the of the wealth must be easily portable the craftsman's local Scythian community.1 23) efforts were put into small items such as gold Much of what is known about the Scythians jewelry, bridle ornaments, horse gear, hand has been uncovered through archaeological ex­ mirrors, arrow cases, swords and battle axes. cavations of their burial mounds, known as kur- The purpose of this study is reviewing and hany. Ongoing explorations of kurhany continue researching the symbolic meaning and classify­ to recover an astonishing wealth of gold and ing the types of the art style of the Torque from silver objects, ranging from horse trappings to the burial mounds of Scythian chiefs. armor, weaponry, jewelry and ceremonial adorn­ The method of this research is through the ment. Early finds of Scythian gold artifacts in antique records and tombs bequests hereby deals the were so stunning that Catherine the with the characteristics of Scythian Torque was Great ordered their systematic study, launching divided into the types according to the shapes. what became the field of Scythian archaeology. Some of the most extraordinary finds were un­ covered only in the last two decades, and ex­ H ・ Scythian Torque Culture cavations continue on an ongoing basis to ex­ plore some of the more than 40,000 kurhany 1. Buried Treasures of Scythian Torque still unexcavated in Ukraine. A race of warriors with no written language Of the jewelry from graves around the Nor­ of their own, the Scythians carried their trea­ thern Black Sea coast, most interest is to be sures from place to place, on horseback or in fb나 nd in polychrome articles of the time of the pulled wagons. Their history, carved in gold and great migration of peoples. Various adornments silver, was buried in the graves of their elite. fbr clothing have been found. Most have colored Idanthyrsus claims that the Scythians had no inlays of semiprecious stones, mainly in shades or cultivated, fbr the loss of which they of red, such as almandine, and sard, and would fear and they have therefore no reason less frequently amber and glass, against a gold fbr involving in a fight, the only solid thing ground. These articles show a combination of

2 T. T Rice, ''Introduction'', M. I. Artamonov, Treasures from Scytian Tombs, trans. Kupriyanova, (London: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1966), 11. 3 George Hinge, Scythian nomadism in the narrative of Herodotus^ (Centre for Black Sea Studies: 1993), 4.534

70 Vol. 6, No. 2 The International Journal of Costume Culture 3 new forms unknown to jewelers of the Northern from the royal tombs, where the skeletons were Black Sea littoral, who tended to use the invariably bedecked with golden diadems, head­ jewelry techniques traditional around the Bospo­ , necklaces, b이 ts, bracelets, ear and during the previous era, and they vary in finger-rings, torques, pendants, amulets, beads, style and technique. buttons, buckles and paste locket but even the The story of the Scythians and Scythian art is less important burials provide an abundance of also a story of interaction with the Greek , jewellery and precious materials." which eagerly purchased grain, furs and amber Fertile soils and generous nature along the from the Scythians. Profits from this trade Black Sea coast and the riverside brought Scythians the wealth to indulge their attracted Hellenes as long ago as in the taste for elaborate objects ranging from torques Age. At the same time, Scythians, who had to horse decorations. come from Asia and replaced , When the Scythians at last abandoned their appeared on the territory, which lay farther to nomadic lifestyle for the prosperous, settled life the North. They resided here for a long time which trade had brought them, the door was and appeared to be suitable trade partners and opened for the of a hardier nomadic rich customers for the . Many master­ tribe, the . The exhibition will close pieces created by Greek and Scythian gold­ with several superb Sarmatian gold objects, in­ smiths are widely known. For body, armament cluding a torque, a dolphin and a pen­ and harness ornaments, they employed all of dant, as a reminder of how intriguing and how metalwork techniques common at the time. still little known are the cultures, objects, and These consisted of casting, coinage, engraving, artistic styles of this part of the world." gilding, inlaying, stone setting and others. In the zone between Dnieper The Hermitage collection of Scythian anti­ and , archaeologists have excavated nume­ quities is renowned worldwide, its nucleus con­ rous fortifications and settlements, and they sisting of finds from burial complexes in the seem to have depended largely on crops. As , basin and in the valleys of the archaeology cannot of course determine ethni­ Dnieper and Don rivers. , which is after all a matter of linguistically Across the flat of Ukraine, ancient framed , it is impossible to say if burial mounds stretch to 100 feet high, pre­ those fortifications were in fact inhabited by serving the gold treasures of the nomadic Scy­ Scythians. Some researchers claim that only the thian warriors. grass steppe in the south was the home of The gold, bronze and clay items have been Iranian-speaking Scythians, and that another preserved in the Scythian tombs, called kurhans, population, perhaps Proto-, inhabited the which rest from 6 to 45 feet beneath the ground northern forest steppe. Others focus on the unity and are covered by up to 100 feet of topsoil. of the culture in both areas. A probable scenario The mounds span 300 feet in diameter at the is that mounted of Iranian origin settled base. amongst an agricultural population in the forest "While other nomadic tribes that at one time steppe zone, and that the two populations form­ dominated this , such as the and the ed a cultural and economic symbiosis, which , survive primarily through tales of their must be called Scythian.' ruthless conquests, the Scythians also left la­ The most magnificent pieces naturally come vishly provisioned tombs that have preserved

4 http://www.brama.com/news/press/000301scythiangold.html 5 http://herodot.georgehinge.com/nomadism.html 6 T. T. Rice. The Scythians^ (London: Thames & Hudson, 1957), 144-45.

71 4 A Study on the Scythian Torque IJCC one of the most complete and stunning material extend to the neighbourhood of Kiev. Other records of any nomadic people," said Dr. Gerry burials occur in the Danubian , and out­ Scott DI, curator of ancient art at the San Anto­ lying single graves even in North ; nio of Art in , where the exhibit there are more on the Don and Donetz and made its U. S. debut in November. farther east by the to the Urals.' The nomads buried their dead with an elabo­ The Scythians had a veritable passion for rate combination of ritual and ceremony, which adornment, delighting in decorating themselves varied based on the importance of the deceased. no less than their horses and belongings. Their Archaeologists have found that the writings love of jewellery was expressed at every turn. of 5th-century BC historian Herodotus accura­ The most magnificent pieces naturally come tely describe the embalming, human and animal from the royal tombs, where the skeletons were , and burial process for group invariably bedecked with golden diadems, head­ leaders. dresses, necklaces, belts, bracelets, ear and fin- The ceremonies were less elaborate fbr co­ gerrings, torques, pendants, amulets, beads, bu­ mmon men and women, but they were often ttons, buckles and paste locket but even the less buried with an arsenal of weapons, helmets, important burials provide an abundance of jewel­ shields, and cooking and storage pots. lery and precious materials. The Scythians prospered through trade with The most important and impressive of the the Greeks, and commissioned Greek and Scy­ Scythian burials are the royal tombs of southern thian artists to craft gold jewelry and plaques Russia, and of them all Chertomlyk is perhaps for battle and personal adornment during cere­ the richest, both in the variety and artistic monial occasions. quality of the objects found in it and also in the Although the figures are influenced by Greek well nigh fabulous intrinsic value of the gold art and mythology, they are adapted by the work. Scythians. For example, the "prudish" Scythians In the chamber a dead man lay on his back, have clothed figures that would be naked in feeing east. The setting in which he took leave , Reeder said. The scenes do not depict of this world was of extraordinary opulence. A Greek stories; rather, the Scythians have bo­ fine bronze torque encircled his neck, a gold rrowed Greek figures to tell their own stories.7) 8 earring had been placed in one ear and there The tombs of the Scythian kings and chiefs were gold rings on all his fingers. In the third have long been famous in archaeology. In con­ small chamber lay two bodies, each adorned struction they have much in common with the with a gold torque, gold bracelets and rings.9) far older barrows of the Kuban, while in con­ By approximately 450 BC the had tents they show an analogous mixture of nor­ developed a powerful confederacy as indicated thern and Near Eastern objects and styles. This by the occurrence of immense kurgans through­ continuity in idea cannot be traced on the out an expansive territory. The portable trea­ steppes, and should probably be sought in Wes­ sures recovered from the Pazyryk, Ukok and tern Asia, which now provides a new impulse. Issyk burials reveals that these populations had The most notable groups of tombs are in the acquired considerable wealth, and that they had Kuban basin, often in the same places as the also developed a complex religious and ceremo­ first great barrows, in the , in nial system. the Crimea, and on the Dnieper where they Since their burials contained the most diverse

7 Theresa Bowen, "Scythian gold tells ancient story of nomadic warriors", SouthCoastToday, 2002.3. 8 E. D. Phillips, The Royal Hordes, (London: Thames & Hudson, 1965), 66, 68. 9 T. T. Rice, op. cit., 92-94.

72 Vol. 6, No. 2 The International Journal of Costume Culture 5 array of artifacts, the Pokrovka women pre­ buried in gala or ritual attire. He wore a thin, sented the most vivid and compelling statuses. evidently silk shirt, a short coat (kamzol), na­ Hearth woman, in many cases, controlled consi­ rrow breeches of red suede and high boots derable wealth in the form of jewelry in their without heels. His heavy belt was composed of own right. Perhaps a special status of spinners cast plaques in the shape of a fantastic stag and and weavers performed their art as part of elks' heads. On his head, the chieftain wore a magical rituals. Priestesses of varying levels of high conical three-sided hat (kulakh). It is exac­ status maintained equilibrium within the family, tly in such hats that the noble Saks-tigrakhaudy clan and tribe, and divined on a more personal (literally-"in hats with pointed tops") are depic­ level. Warrior-priestesses would also have di­ ted in relief on the staircase in Persepolis. vined and performed oracles but additionally Round his neck he had a gold torque with three they could have bestowed sanctification, or even loops, its ends fashioned in the form of tigers1 sovereignty, upon the chieftain. The results ­ heads.⑵ tained from the burials of these Pokrovka wo­ The greatest scientific resonance was caused men have enabled the analysis of other high by the excavation of the famous Arzhan burial status burials including the Pazyryk and Ukok mound under the direction of the outstanding burials from southern , the Issyk burial of Leningrad scholar Mikhail Petrovich Griaznov southern , and two mummies from a and the archaeologist Mongush Khurgui- Taklimakan Desert oasis. Archaeological data oolovich Mannai-ool. The material obtained from revealed that all of these women had been of the investigation of this monument of colossal high status, and with the exception of the Issyk dimensions made it possible to examine anew individual who appears to have been a warrior­ many questions in the archaeology of the Scy­ priestess, they were priestesses. thian period. All the hitherto investigated graves Within the Sauromatian, the Sarmatian, and in the burial mounds of the "Valley of the the Saka cultures, compelling evidence exists for Kings" had been plundered back in ancient strong female hierarchical structures, more di­ times. verse in nature than those of their male counter­ The unexpected and exceptionally important parts. Within nomadic Early cultures, result of the work in the 2001 was the feminine power in the social, political, and discovery of an undisturbed grave of the 6th~ cultural spheres would have undoubtedly been 5th century BC. The burial was made in a deep extremely effectual.10) square pit in the bottom of which stood the The pattern of the weapons permit us to date burial chamber of a framework with double the Issyk kurgan to the Saks period-the fifth­ walls of Siberian . The wood is splendidly fourth or fourth-third centuries BC. The ex­ preserved and it proved possible to establish all cellent state of preservation made it possible to the constructional feature of the structure. The undertake a sufficiently trustworthy reconst­ bodies of a man and a woman were laid on the ruction of the chieftain's dress. Despite all the carefully prepared floor. They were lying on splendour of the clothing and weapon orna­ their left sides with their legs bent at the knees, ments, one cannot help noticing intentional or the heads towards the north- which is forced camouflage.10 1112The "Issyk chieftain" was characteristic of Tuva burials of the Scythian

10 Jeannine Davis-Kimball, ''Statuses of eastern early iron age nomads'', (Berkeley, Caiifornia:Center for the Study of , 2002), 16-17, 11 Boris Piotrovsky, Liudmila Galanina, Nonna Grach, Scythian Art, (Phaidon • Oxford - - grad, 1987), 18. 12 http://www.kz/usr/ale/eng/intro 1 .html

73 6 A Study on the Scythian Torque IJCC period. The richness of the burial attire and the shape of fantastic, like animals. Three bra­ articles accompanying the dead indicate that celets are also carved with images of animals, they belonged to the upper echelon of the no­ possibly including a griffin head, in the Scythi­ mad nobility. Both the bodies were dressed in an animal style. Close to her right hand were costumes decorated with small sewn-on gold the remains of a wooden cup covered with sheet plaques in the form of a predator of the cat gold embossed with animals. Other artifacts family. There were some 5,000 of these in total. included a belt decorated with small bone plates In the area of the neck and chest the archae­ engraved with geometric patterns, a gold buckle, ologists found earrings and numerous pendants a gold-covered wooden cosmetics container and beads made of gold, turquoise, cornelian (with some surviving organic matter inside), a and even amber. had a massive gold Greek red-figure cup, a local ceramic vessel, torque, a symbol of power, around his neck. and a Bosphoran amphora (from , ancient The entire surface of the torque, like that of Pantikapaion, on the strait between the Black many of the other artefacts, is decorated with Sea and the sea of ). A large bronze or depictions of animals, deer, , camels, silver pin with a gold head was found in leopards, and , representing a sort her left eye socket; this may indicate that she of encyclopaedia of the art produced by the was sacrificed, or it may simply have fallen into nomads of .⑶ her eye as the flesh decayed after burial.13 14) 15 Rich Scythian-Sarmatian burial has been Richest grave of the Sarmatian times in the discovered near the town of Ipatovo, in southern Crimea was discovered under direction of the Russia, containing gold necklets and spiral bra­ archaeologist Askold Schepinsky in May celets, an akinakes (dagger) in a gold-covered 1974. The barrow was named after the locality scabbard, ceramic vessels, and other offerings. Nogaychik, which situated nearby the place of The burial probably dates from the early third excavations. century BC, when the Scythian culture that had In the sarcophagus was buried a woman in the southern Russian steppes was age of 35-40, Im 70cm in height. Her head was giving way to the Sarmatian culture. Whether covered by gold appliques-perhaps it was a the Scythians were assimilated into the ­ head-dress. A pair of earrings laid nearby. A tians, who were moving into the area, or the torque was placed on the neck. The endings of Sarmatians replaced the Scythians but borrowed the torque with images of animals were at the heavily from their culture, is not clear, and a back and facing the earth. Another necklace and burial of this date could h이 p clarify the nature a brooch-pin were placed on top of it. The chest of the transition. of the dead was ornamented with beads of Discovered during a survey in advance of the stone, glass and gold. Two dresses of the dead construction of an oil pipeline, the burial was were made of silk of different quality. Both excavated by a rescue mission from the regional hands of the dead with massive armlets were ministry of culture. The occupant, an adult fe­ inserted into silver cups. The feet were orna­ male, lay on her back with her head to the west mented with bracelets of gold wire and tiny and her left leg flexed. Six gold necklets, each beads of black glass and jet.,5) weighing about nine ounces, have green glass or Sarmatian and Huns Period- Sarmatian art is stone Sarmatian-style inlay and terminals in the best represented by artifacts from the burial

13 http://www.hermitagemuseum.Org/html_En/l 1/hml l_l_38.html 14 http://www.archaeology.org/magazine.php7page~9903/newsbriefs/ipatovo 15 V. Mordvintseva, The royal grave, of the times of mithridates eupator in the Cnmia(CQntre for Black Sea Studies, 2002).

74 Vol. 6, No. 2 The International Journal of Costume Culture 7 mound at Khoklach, discovered by chance in ger. Also his horses...and golden cups... Having 1864 near . Gold articles found done this, they raise a vast mound of earth..." there torques, perfume flasks, diadems and pla­ These massive kurhany were frequently crowned ques were executed in the Sarmatian animal with a monumental stone of a warrior, style: these objects are notable for their styli­ symbolizing the importance of the deceased elite zation and the use of ornamentation formed of aristocracy.•丄 17) the heads and bodies of animals, as well as If we disregard the elements and motifs in colored inlay of turquoise or different shades of Scythian art that are obvious borrowings from smalt paste to represent the eyes, ears, West Asia and in part from Greek art, adapted paws or hooves, ribs and muscles. to scythian tradition, we shall still see a huge

〈Fig. 1) is the Finno-Scythic that is the fi­ number of other elements peculiar to that people gure on a tombstone from Ananyino wearing alone, and the prod나 ct of their own creativity. trousers and peculiar conical hat and large Despite differences in local features, the exis­ Torque round the neck is also distinctive.1^ tence of which was natural in view of the extensive area inhabited by the Scythians, the 2. The Symbolic Meaning of Scythian Torque common features were obviously predominant. Deep burial chambers hid the remains of the These stemmed from the fact that their art was deceased (of both sexes)and, as Herodotus wrote adapted to the ornamentation of various articles in Histories, "When their king dies...they lay the of everyday use, and was stylized in a way all .. 18) dead man in his grave on a bed...they bury one its own. of his concubines, killing her by strangling, and The images of fantastic animals (griffins, his cup-bearer, cook, groom, lackey, and messen- sphinxes, winged animals, and often beasts with human heads) that were depicted in their Scy­ thian Torques, came to be known as the peculiar Scythian animal" style. Techniques, which had once been rather primitive, improved considera­ bly during the prosperous times of the Scythian State. Stylization of images developed into a realistic method of interpreting complicated zoo­ morphic compositions.1^ Mortuary objects also verified the transmi­ ssion over immense distances of not only actual objects, but also cultural and innovative con­ cepts. Therefore, homogeneity occurred in sym­ bolic, visual and probably audible effects th­ roughout a wide geographical area. The most attractive feature of the collection is the abun­ of articles of applied art from a variety of

〈Fig. 1〉Finno-Scythic Figure. BC 600-400, Ana­ schools and trends, with objects created in the nyino. * Scythian Animal style, and items made by

16 E. D. Phillips, The Roral Hordes, ( London: Thames & Hudson, 1965), 50. 17 http://www.rom.on.ca/news/releases/public.php32mediakeyuxu2nhqg2zp 18 S. I. Rudenko, "The gold-guarding griffins", (Tokyo: Sinsidaesa, 1970), 45. 19 http://www.ukrartjewellery.com/OLEHSITE/UJ_engl.htm

75 8 A Study on the Scythian Torque IJCC

Greek craftsmen or imported from Oriental sign, done in relief, of different animal and the nearby Classical centers to the and tree. North of Black Sea and intended fbr Scythian noblemen. 1. Torque with Terminal Style

Many of the Scythian torques of art are in 〈Fig. 2) is gold Torque with terminals in the animal style associated with the central Asi­ the shape of a Tiger. This torque is formed by an steppes, while others reflect influence from a thick gold hoop with disconnected ends ancient Near Eastern cultures. Still other objects decorated with the heads of a feline beast of

reveal a fusion of the animal style with Near prey (lion or tiger). The anim이 's ears and Eastern motifs and Greek iconography and style. cheek-bones are inlayed with turquoise. Both in Rich evidence of this sophisticated, artistic di­ form and style the torque differs from those alogue constitutes an intriguing new frontier in from Peter I's Siberian Collection. It is attributed archaeological research. to the late Achaemenid art. Di am. 19.2cm, Sakae Culture. 4th century ID. Scythian Torque Style BC, South-, area between the Rivers and Ob Russia.

Scythian Torques are worn with the decora­ 〈Fig. 3〉is a gold Torque with lion-head tive terminals to the front. It was put a Torque terminal.20) This torque is forged, stamped, sol­ on, grasped both terminals and placed the dered, filigreed. 20.5x23.5 cm, Scythian culture. opening at the back of the neck. It was stret­ Late 4th century BC. ched the Torque open just enough to clear the Talaevsky Barrow No. 1, Crimea Russia (now neck and pulled it on and reversed the process Ukraine)

to take it off It is possible the Torque signified 〈Fig. 4) is Gold Torque of thick plaited wire its wearer's religious leadership responsibilities. with sculptural figures of Scythian horse- Scythian Torque were divided into 5 styles according to the shape. Torque with Terminal style, Spiral style, Layers style, Crescent-shaped pectoral style, Crown style. 1) Torque with Terminal style that is formed by a thick hoop with disconnected ends decorated with the heads of a beast. 2) Spiral style is that is made of long golden wires twisted into rings. 3) Layers style handed fbrge this piece from a single bar of gold, working it hot to create a striking pattern of layered may be worn with the opening either to the front or the back. 4) Crown style is consisted of two hinged parts made of curved wires soldered toge­ ther. 5) Crescent-shaped pectoral style is the cre­

20 M. I. Artamonov, Treasures from Scytian Tombs, trans. Kupriyanova, (London: Thames & Hudson, 1969), 63.

一 76 Vol. 6, No. 2 The International Journal of Costume Culture 9

〈Fig. 5〉Torque with Terminal Style 4th Century BC. Sarmatian Culture, Region.

〈Fig. 6) is Bronze cast torque consists of two mobile parts. The longer front part is

〈Fig. 3〉Torque with Terminal Style. Late 4th decorated with two relief figures of tigers, Century BC. Talaevsky Barrow No. 1. which are executed in the manner similar to the objects found in the frozen barrows in the men as flnal.2l) This torque is inlayed with mountainous region of the Altai. enamel, cast, chased, enameled. 400-350 BC Diam. 17.5cm. 5th century BC Siberia Ru­ Kul Oba Barrow, Kerch . ssia.

〈Fig. 5) is gold Torque with the zoomor­ phic termination. This torque is casted. Diam. 2. Spiral Style Torque 24.5 cm. Sarmatian Culture. 4th century BC. 〈Fig. 7) is spiral g시 d Torque with lion Stavropol Region, the of Kazinskoye attacking a boar. This torque is cast, forged, cha- Russia;幻

〈Fig. 4〉Torque with Terminal Style. BC 400〜 〈Fig. 6〉Torque with Terminal Style. 5th Century 350. Kul Oba Barrow. BC. Altai.

M. I. Artamonov, op. cit., plate 201.

22 National Museum of (ed), The Scythian Gold from the 泣 ?ge,(Seoul: Chosun llbo, 1991), 262.

77 10 A Study on the Scythian Torque IJCC

〈Fig. 7〉Spiral Style Torque. Late 4th Century BC. Karagodeuashkh Barrow. ced. Diam. 17.3〜19cm. Meotian Culture. Late 4th century BC. Karagodeuashkh Barrow, Kuban, Region (formerly Giaghinsky of Kuban Region) Russia (now Ukraine).

〈Fig. 8〉is spiral gold Torque with lion. {Fig. 9〉Layers Style Torque. 3rd Century BC. There are Torques made of long golden wires Sakae Culture, Western Siberia Russia. twisted into rings, with cast figures of lions at the ends of the wires.”〉This torque is cast, Sakae Culture. 3rd century BC. Western Sibe­ forged, chaced. Diam. 14〜15.2 cm. Scythian cul­ ria Russia. ture. 4th century BC. Chertomlyk Barrow, Dnie­ 〈Fig. 10〉is 10 layered gold Torque. This per Area, near Nikopol Russia (now Ukraine). torque is cast, soldered. Diam. 13cm. Sakae Culture. 3rd century BC. Western Sibe­ 3. Layers Style Torque ria Russia. 〈Fig. 9) is 3 layered gold Torque is handed fbrge this piece from a single bar of gold, working it hot to create a striking pattern of layered may be worn with the opening either to the front or the back . This torque is cast, sol­ dered. Diam. 12cm.

〈Fig. 8〉Spiral Style Torque. 4th Century BC. 〈Fig. 10〉Layers Style Torque. 3rd Century BC. Chertomlyk Barrow. Sakae Culture, Western Siberia Russia.

23 S. I. Rudenko, op. cit., 8.

78 Vol. 6, No. 2 The International Journal of Costume Culture 11

〈Fig. 11〉is 3 layered gold Torque. This fabulous monsters are picked out with inlays of torque is hammered, stamped, engraved, cast. turquoise or coral; the deep eyes are inlaid with Diam. 21.4 cm. Sakae Culture. 5th〜4th century glass. The friezes have been cast in single-piece BC South-Western Siberia, area between the moulds and subsequently chased. This torque is Rivers Irtysh and Ob Russia. a typical example of the Sarmatian Animal Style. Khokhlach Burial Mound, near Novocherkassk. 4. Crown Style Torque 1st century AD. Diam. 17.8cm, height 6.3cm.

〈Fig. 12〉is gold Torque. The torque con­

5. Crescent-shaped Pectoral Style Torque

〈Fig. 14〉is the crescent shaped pectoral with lion head finals and openwork design, done in relief, of different animal and tree. Gold, ena­

〈Fig. 11〉Layers Style Torque. 5〜4th Century BC. mel.2^ Diam. 18.4cm. Sakae Culture, South-Western Siberia.

〈Fi입 . 13〉Crown Style Torque. 5〜4th Century BC.

〈Fig. 12〉Crown Style Torque. 1st Century AD. Kho- Sakae Culture, Karasuk Burial Mound khlach Burial Mound, near Novocherkassk. II, Barrow 1.

S. I. Rudenko, op. cit., 8. 25 http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/fcgi-bin/db2www/quickSearch.inac/gallery?selLang=English&tmCond =:torque 26 M. I. Artamonov, op. cit., plate 295.

79 12 A St니 dy on the Scythian Torque IJCC

〈Fig. 14〉Crescent-shaped Pectoral Style Torque. 〈Fig. 15〉 Crescent-shaped pectoral Style Torque. First Half of the 4th Century BC. Bol- 5~4th Century BC. or Older. Tolstaya shaya Bliznitsa Kurgan. Mogila Burial.

This Torque, of original form, technique and rings in their mouths which served as clasps. decoration, was found during excavations of the The Pectoral is divided into three tiers or bands Bliznitsa burial mound in 1868. It is by gold braids both inside and on the outer and part of the attire of a Bosporan priestess to De­ inner edges. The central band is the most deco­ meter, goddess of fertility. The open work frie­ rative in the sense that it has but a few repre­ ze, consisting of a row of rams, goats, dogs and sentations of realistically portrayed , pru­ hares soldered together, is inserted between two ning their feathers or pecking at the gold beads, bands of egg and dart ornament and twisted and stylized and realistic flowers. wires. The necklace ends in lions' heads, and The remaining space of the central band is the details are finished with granulations and filled with coiled flower stems and leaves. Some engraving; the leaves and flowers are encrusted of the smaller flowers definitely look like what with blue enamel. Each of the figures, executed we would call today bluebells. The outer band, almost in the round, was fashioned separately the widest, carries representations of winged gri­ and mounted on transverse bars. The pectoral ffins attacking horses, lions and panthers poun­ was probably created by a Bosporan goldsmith cing on a wild boar and a dear, and dogs and in the late Greek Classical tradition. First half of hares scampering away, and grasshoppers in the the 4th century BC. Found at the Bolshaya comers where the gold crescent tapers to its Bliznitsa kurgan in the Kuban area. From the ends. The inner band is a departure from the collection of the Hermitage. violence of the outer and unfolds before the

80 Vol. 6, No. 2 The International Journal of Costume Culture 13 preted as mending or making a short sheepskin according to the shape, Torque with Terminal coat. But other interpretations suggest that it is style, Spiral style, Layers style, Crescent-shaped indeed the Golden Fleece that they have in their pectoral style, Crown style. hands, the Golden Fleece that figures so promi­ These Scythian Torques are notable for their nently in the mythology. The stylization and the use of ornamentation formed creator of the Pectoral was so amazingly careful of the heads and bodies of animals, as well as in portraying the living creatures and inanimate colored inlay of turquoise or different shades of objects that he has not only put two quivers blue smalt paste to represent the eyes, ears, (one of them is actually hanging above the flee­ paws or hooves, ribs and muscles. From time to ce) with bows inside, close to the two Scythians time it is both exquisitely ornamental and repre­ but also adorned the quivers with decorative sentational in the sense that it tells a story of designs. the world rich in imagery. On both sides of these two amazing figures Many of the Scythian Torques of art are in we see two horses portrayed in a stunningly the animal style associated with the central Asi­ realistic manner. One of the horses is a mare an steppes, while others reflect influence from suckling an evidently new-born foal, still wo­ ancient Near Eastern cultures. Still other objects bbly on its unsure legs. In contrast to the horse reveal a fusion of the animal style with Near being dev이나 red by the griffins in the scene Eastern motifs and Greek iconography and style. below, in whose eyes you can see horror and Rich evidence of this sophisticated, artistic di­ pain, the mare looks so full of care and alogue constitutes an intriguing new frontier in tenderness towards her foal. In the same band archaeological research. with the two Scythians holding the fleece one can see two more human figures, one of whom References is milking a sheep. This crouching man wears a sort of a shirt. By the look of him, he is in no Piotrovsky, B., Liudmila Galanina and Nonna great hurry to get the milking done. His move­ Grach. 1987. Scythian Art, Phaidon • Oxford ments are deliberate, he is not new to the job. • Aurora • leningrad. Goats and cows with calves wander to the very Phillips, E. D. 1969. The Royal Hordes, Lon­ end of the band.27) don: Thames & Hudson. 5〜4th century BC or older one is Tolstaya Hinge, George. 1993. Scythian nomadism in the Mogila burial near Ordzhonikid-ze B. N. Mo- narrative of Herodotus^ Centre fbr Black Sea zolevsky. Studies 4.53.4. Davis-Kimball, Jeannine. 2002. Statuses of Eas­ IV. Conclusion tern Early Iron Age Nomads, Berkeley, Cali­ fornia: Center fbr the Study of Eurasian No­ Scythian Torques are worn with the decora­ mads. tive terminals to the front. It was put a Torque Artamonov, M. I. 1969. Treasures from Scytian on, grasped both terminals and placeed the Tombs, trans. Kupriyanova, London: Thames opening at the back of the neck. It was stret­ & Hudson. ched the Torque open just enough to clear the National Museum of Korea(ed). 1991. The Scy­ neck and pulled it on and reversed the process thian Gold from the Hermitage, Seoul: Cho- to take it off. It is possible the Torque signified s나 n llbo. its wearer's r이 igious leadership responsibilities. Rudenko, S. I. 1970. The gold-guarding Griffins, Scythian Torque were divided into 5 styles Tokyo: Sinsidaesa.

27 http://www.artukraine.com/historical/pectoral.htm

81 14 A Study on the Scythian Torque IJCC

Denis, Sinor. 1990. The Cambridge History of Centre for Black Sea Studies. Early Inner Asia, Cambridge University Press. http://www.artukraine.com/historical/pectoral.htm Bowen, Theresa. 2002. Scythian gold tells anci­ http://www.rom.on.ca/news/releases/p 나 blic.php3? ent story of nomadic warriors, SouthCoast- mediakey=xu2nhqg2zp Today. http ://www. kz/usr/ale/eng/intro 1 .html Rice, T. T. 1957. The Scythians, London: http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/ Thames & Hudson. http://www.archaeology.org/niagazine.php?page;zz Rice, T. T. 1966. uIntroduction'', M. I. Arta­ 9903/newsbriefs/ipatovo monov, Treasures from Scytian Tombs, trans. http://www.brama.com/news/press/000301scythia Kupriyanova, London: Thames and Hudson ngold.html Ltd. http://herodot.georgehinge.com/nomadism.html Mordvintseva, V. 2002. The royal grave, of the http://www.ukrar1jewellery.coni/OLEHSITE/UJ_e times of mithridates eupator in the Crimia, ngl.htm.

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