WESTERN ASIATIC SCYTHIAN GOLD HORSE APPLIQUé 6th century BC A gold advancing horse appliqué, with saddle, rope bands to the body; mounted on a custom-made stand. 30 grams, 62mm (2 1/2"). Fine condition. Provenance From an important Mayfair, London, collection, acquired in 1986; inventory no.96.59.2. Literature Aruz, J, Farkas, A, Alekseev, A, Korolkova, E (eds), The Golden Deer of Eurasia: Scythian and Sarmatian Treasures from the Russian Steppes, 2000, New York. Footnotes Ornaments such as these would have been sown onto the clothes of Scythian aristocracy, both male and female. Scythian art shows a mix of Greek and native styles which resulted from the contacts made as Greek settlers arrived in the northern Black Sea area. A number of animals are to be found among Scythian art, such as birds, stags, lions and horses; the horse was particularly important to them as they were a nomadic people and the bodies of sacrificed horses have been found in the tombs of Scythian nobles. Very often the ornaments display a hybrid animal with the separate creatures only being recognisable by moving the piece round. This would seem to be related to the animistic and shamanic beliefs of the Scythian people.
WESTERN ASIATIC SCYTHIAN GOLD HORSE APPLIQUé 6th century BC A gold advancing horse appliqué, with saddle, rope bands to the body; mounted on a custom-made stand. 30 grams, 62mm (2 1/2"). Fine condition. Provenance From an important Mayfair, London, collection, acquired in 1986; inventory no.96.59.2. Literature Aruz, J, Farkas, A, Alekseev, A, Korolkova, E (eds), The Golden Deer of Eurasia: Scythian and Sarmatian Treasures from the Russian Steppes, 2000, New York. Footnotes Ornaments such as these would have been sown onto the clothes of Scythian aristocracy, both male and female. Scythian art shows a mix of Greek and native styles which resulted from the contacts made as Greek settlers arrived in the northern Black Sea area. A number of animals are to be found among Scythian art, such as birds, stags, lions and horses; the horse was particularly important to them as they were a nomadic people and the bodies of sacrificed horses have been found in the tombs of Scythian nobles. Very often the ornaments display a hybrid animal with the separate creatures only being recognisable by moving the piece round. This would seem to be related to the animistic and shamanic beliefs of the Scythian people.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
