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A. R. Kantorovich Syncretic figures in Eastern-European Scythian zoomorphic style art: statistics and general iconographic trends

Abstract: The Scythian-Siberian zoomorphic style from the VIIth – beginning of the IIIrd century B. C., being part of the “Scythian triad” along with armor and horse equipment, presents a particular artistic direction of applied zoomorphic art, characterized by a stable set of animal figures depicted in strictly defined poses and compositions, and using special detail modelling techniques. Some of the most important elements of this repertory are the syncretic figures: griffins and other zoomorphic creatures formed from different elements of real animals in fantastic combinations. This article is based on a study of a wide array of syncretic figures (201 objects in original, not including copies) made in Eastern European Scythian animal style, correlated with the region of Scythian archaeological culture and being one of the local variants of the Scythian-Siberian zoomorphic style. The author presents the main results of an image-figurative classification, subject-stylistic typology and statistical analysis of the mega-form of syncretic (fantastic) animals. The research shows that the figures of syncretic animals compose almost a tenth of the whole set of original figures of Eastern European Scythian animal style. Compared to the three other Scythian animal mega-forms – birds, hoofed and predatory animals – syncretic creatures had less morphological standardization and calibration for stylistic elaboration. The basis for the mega-form of syncretic creatures consists of figures of Early and Late Greek-type griffins and their local modifications. The theme of the griffin, which came into Scythian art through Ancient Greek and Near Eastern (Assyrian-Urartian, Hittite, and, later, Achaemenid) art, in its bare form was not enough popular in the Scythian culture and was often replaced with a similar, yet not identical syncretic figures, clearly, corresponding better to the local ideology.

Keywords:

archaeology, Scythian animal art style, Scythian archaeological culture, history of Scythian art, repertory, syncretic figures, griffin, figural statistics, iconographical classification.

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