Introduction

N. V. Fedorova recently wrote about the need for a complete publication of the corpus of Trans-Ural finds representing the silver of Volga Bulgaria and its adjacent territories [2003]. This article responds to this call and introduces a number of products found in 2003-2005 in the Shuryshkarsky district of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. Some of them were part of the cult paraphernalia of the northern Khanty, others - in the village. Shuryshkary from local residents.

Description of finds

1. A shield with a floral ornament (Fig. 1). Found by N. G. Rochev in the 1970s on the bank of the Sor river near the village. Shuryshkary. Silver, embossed on the matrix. Size: 13.2*7.8 cm. The shield is an oval plate, slightly bent along the long axis, with the edges bent on the reverse side, which clamp a copper wire with a diameter of 2 mm, which plays the role of a frame. The front side has preserved traces of gilding. Two pairs of holes are roughly punched in the edges of the plate from the turn. On the reverse side of the shield with a thin cutting tool, drawings are made: an anthropomorphic figure and two fish (Fig. 2).

Two similar shields are known, also purchased in the village. Shuryshkars; one of them is kept in the Tobolsk State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve (TGIAMZ) [Syrkina, 1983, p. 191, fig. 10], the other - in the Shemanovsky Museum and Exhibition Complex (MVK, Salekhard). N. V. Fedorova refers the latter to the products of Volga Bulgaria of the XII-XIV centuries [Treasures of the Ob region..., 2003, p. 71].

2. A shield with images of animals, fish, and anthropomorphic figures (Fig. Found ML. Istomin in 1973 on the bank of the Sor river near the village. Shuryshkary. Silver, gilding, black, engraving. Size: 12.3*7.3 cm. The shape of the shield is the same as the one described above. In the edges of the face plate, two pairs of holes are roughly punched on the long sides and one on the short side.

The central oval is formed by a narrow strip of smooth and shaded triangles and is divided into two equal parts by the same strip with larger triangles (some are engraved "in a grid"). It is surrounded by a wide strip in the form of a three-part braid. In the left half-oval (Fig. 3, b), the central place is occupied by the figure of a" horse": the head is turned back, the tongue protrudes from the mouth, the lower part of the forked tail is lowered down, the upper part is made in the form of a snake-like creature with a small head, a square with notches and a cross-shaped figure are engraved on the body. An anthropomorphic image is placed horizontally above the back of the "horse": the face is round, the eyes are close together, the hands are lowered down, on the right - five fingers, a gender sign or tail is shown, and a turban is on the head. Under the belly of the "horse" is engraved a figure in the form of a head with two tassels and short legs. The right half-oval shows two fish and one small fish on each of them (Fig. 3, c). Between them is a" two-legged " sharp-headed figure; between the tails is a triangle. Fish and animal figures are gilded.

page 145

Fig. 1. Shield with floral ornament.

Fig. 2. Engravings on the reverse side of the shield.

A plate with the image of four fish (inside the contour of which small fish can also be guessed) was previously purchased by employees of TGIAMZ in the village of Shuryshkary (Syrkina, 1983, p. 191, Fig. 9]; hence comes the plate with the image of two idols and four fish, stored in the Museum of Fine Arts. N. V. Fedorova refers these shields to the products of Volga Bulgaria of the XII-XIV centuries [2005].

The meaning of the scene in the right oval of the plate under consideration is most likely magical, designed to ensure fishing; probably, a sea or river deity is depicted between the fish. It can be assumed that the left half-oval also contains images of two idols of the northern peoples.

3. A bivalve bracelet (Fig. 4). Found by M. L. Istomin in 1996 on Chernaya Gora near the village. Shuryshkary. Silver, gilding, black, scan, engraving. The maximum diameter of the closed bracelet is 7 cm, the width is 3.3 cm. The sashes are connected by a hinge, along which a coil filigree is laid. Scan threads are soldered along the edges of the product and along the middle line. The joints of the wings with hinges are decorated with pyramids of grain. The ornament of the bracelet consists of two belts of gilded braid on a black background. The inside of one sash has engraved drawings: it is divided into two parts by a vertical line, to the left of which three short vertical lines are scratched, and to the right - the figure of an animal, most likely a deer.

Two similar bracelets are known from the Saigatinsky III burial ground, related to the products of Volga Bulgaria of the XIII-XIV centuries (Zykov et al., 1994, cat. 274,275). Previously in the village. Shuryshkary was purchased with a bracelet of the XII-XIV centuries [Treasures of the Ob region..., 2003, cat. 35].

4. Badge with the image of a horseman and a defeated warrior (Fig. 5). Found by I. L. Istomin near the village. Shuryshkary. Silver, die-cut, coinage. Diameter 7.4 cm. The badge is round, thin, the edges are bent to the front side and clamp the copper wire that serves as a frame. The central medallion is decorated with a groove minted from the face. It is followed by a band of ornament in the form of a bindweed with spiral processes. A similar ornament is found on one of the plates purchased by TGIAMZ employees in the village. Shuryshkary [Syrkina, 1983, p. 189, fig. 7].

In the center of the badge is a picture of a rider on a horse, sitting in the full face. He holds the reins with his left hand, and the handle of the whip may be shown in his right. The rider's face is round. The chest is unusually shaped (skeletal, like a Death rider in front of us): it is divided by a vertical line, on the sides of which there are nine (to the left of the viewer) and eight (to the right) horizontal lines. Another horizontal line runs in the area of the belt. The skirt-shaped hem of the garment and the horse's torso are covered with a grid of small lozenges; on the part of the torso near the front legs, the lozenges are arranged in the form of a cross. The horse's neck is horizontal-

page 146

3. A shield with images of animals, fish, and anthropomorphic figures. a - shield; b, c, - fragments of the shield.

Fig. 4. Double-leaf bracelet.

5. Badge with the image of a horseman and a defeated warrior.

Figure 6. Figure of the family spirit-patron.

Fig. 7. A badge with a hunting scene.

page 147

tal stripes. At the bottom of the composition is a recumbent anthropomorphic figure with a cone-shaped (dog?)head. head; in the right hand a saber. The left shoulder is raised up, possibly showing that the rider is dragging the victim on a rope.

In the edges of the badge, two late holes were punched, with the help of which it could be sewn to the clothing of the figure of the patron spirit.

A similar badge was purchased from I. L. Istomin by the employees of the International Exhibition and Exhibition Center (MVK) [Fedorova, 2005]. It has a loop for hanging, and the edges are bent on the reverse side.

B. I. Marshak dated the described plaque from the photograph to the XI century. (oral report, January 2005).

5. A badge with a hunting scene. Round plaques depicting Sokolniki have been published repeatedly (Smirnov, 1909; Leshchenko, 1970, 1981; Savelyeva, 1985; Belavin and Noskova, 1989; Zykov et al., 1994; Belavin, 2000; Shatunov, 2003, p. 50; et al.). In June 2005, another one was found during the work of the Circumpolar Ethnographic Group of the Institute of Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In the village. Anzhigort of the Shuryshkarsky district of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District in the home sanctuary of the Khanty in a tin box were a figure of the family spirit-patron, a necklace of two paste and two Bulgarian silver beads, a medieval bronze temple ring with gilding and a bird figure on a red string sewn to a scarf.

The figure of the patron spirit consisted of a long (approx. 30 cm) shirt with an open collar, a "bag" of white cotton fabric inserted into it (approx. 15 cm long) in the form of an elongated coffee bean and a silver badge that moved freely inside this "bag". The shirt is sewn from a dense blue fabric; the hem, belt, and edge of the sleeves are made of a wide strip of gold braid, and the collar is made of a narrow one. The " bag " protruded half out of the gate, thus performing its upper part as a headdress, and the lower part as a torso. The badge played the role of the patron spirit's face (Fig. 6).

The badge is round in shape, with a diameter of 5.2 cm, made of silver in the technique of flat coinage (Fig. 7). In the center is a man sitting on a horse and turned full-face above the waist. The head is pear-shaped, the mouth is open; perhaps a moustache is shown. The rider is dressed in a blind jacket with a belt decorated with a wide T-shaped stripe, trousers and short boots. The left hand with closed fingers is bent at the elbow and raised up, the right hand with an open palm rests on the rider's side just above the waist (it is possible that the person is holding an object in it or the palm covers the pommel of the saddle). The horse's harness and saddle are marked with a wide stripe with round dots. The horse is shown in motion. A falconer is depicted on the badge: a bird with lowered wings is sitting on the elbow of his right hand. At the bottom of the composition is a fur-bearing animal, most likely a bear. This figure is stylistically similar to the bronze Ural-Siberian bear images of the Middle Ages. In front of the horse, with its muzzle facing it, another figure of a fur-bearing animal, possibly a fox, is placed vertically. All animals are shown with "collars". Near the rider's head, the moon is depicted on one side, and the sun is depicted on the other. The background of the composition is shaded. A groove runs around the circumference of the badge. In the upper part, the thickened rim is cut off, the reverse side is melted.

The product in question is close to a silver plaque that came to the Hermitage from the Berezovsky ROC. Tobolsk province (bought from Ostyakov). The diameter of the latter is 5.4-5.5 cm [Smirnov, 1909, Table XCI, 24, p. 16; Leshchenko, 1970, p. 139, Fig. 5].V. Yu. Leshchenko attributed it to the products of Volga Bulgaria of the XI-XIII centuries [1981, p. 111].

The stylistic unity of both styles is obvious; we can assume, if not one master, then one workshop. The differences are small. The main thing is that the badge from Anzhigort, in addition to the bear, depicts another fur-bearing animal (fox?). Among other things, you can note: different design of clothing, the direction of background notches, the position of the horse's front legs, details of its decoration; on the badge from the Hermitage, the bird's wings are spread; on the badge from Anzhigort, the edge of the rider's boot is shown.

It is difficult to agree with V. Y. Leshchenko that the change in the composition on the badge from the Hermitage (namely, the exclusion of animal figures, except for the bear, the "cut-off top of the head", the absence of a horn in the hand) is explained by the master's inability to place the scene in a circle [1970, p. 140-141]. Rather, the task of depicting the mentioned details is not it was set. As can be seen from the badge from Angigort, in another case, the master easily entered another animal figure into the composition, and the main character's head does not look cut off at all.

Leshchenko believed that the plaques depicted not a simple hunter, but an anthropomorphic deity, the patron saint of the forest world of animals [Ibid., p. 148]. It is difficult to say who exactly was meant by the horseman; most likely, the Mansi and Khanty, who received such products, saw in him their own god-Mir-susne-khum. The most obvious confirmation of this is the tradition of depicting this god on cloth sacrificial paraphernalia on horseback and often surrounded by animals (Leshchenko, 1981, pp. 118-120; Gemuev and Baulo, 2001).

Using silver shields and blyakh in cult practice peoples of Western Siberia

Silver oval plates, as far as I know, are found only in the territory of Western Siberia.

page 148

Siberia. In the literature, they have received several names: "shields for protecting the archer's hand from a bowstring strike" (Zykov et al., 1994; Fedorova, 2003; et al.), " patch plates "(I. A. Syrkina)," bracers " (V. Yu.Leshchenko); the overwhelming majority of researchers use the former.

It is known that in the Middle Ages in the north of Siberia, hunters used bronze and bone shields. The first ones were found in Yamal (Chernetsov, 1957, pp. 156-157) and in the burial of the Saigatinsky IV burial ground of the XIII-XIV centuries. (the size of this shield is 9.7*6.2 cm) [Zykov et al., 1994, p. 99, N 159]. A bronze fingertip measuring 8*5 cm was discovered in the cult ambarchik of the Khanty in the village. Voykara peak (Baulo, 2004, p. 139, photo 27). Medieval bone shields were found during the excavations of Ust-Poluy [Ust-Poluy..., 2003, p. 66]; a shield measuring 10*5 cm (or its blank, since the product does not have holes for a leather cord) from a mammoth tusk was found by M. L. Istomin in a landslide near the village. Shuryshkary. In the 19th and 20th centuries, similar articles were widely used among the Khanty and Mansi peoples (Finsh and Bram, 1882, p. 340; Sirelius, 2001, p. 300, 315; Shukhov, 1916, Table III, Fig. 2; Rudenko, 1929, p. 33, fig. 13; Baulo, 2002, p. 35; et al.]. N. L. Gondatti mentioned wood shields [2000, p. 141]; in the 1830s, Russian craftsmen made imitations of hunting shields made of copper for" foreigners " [Gemuev, 1990, p. 77; Baulo, 2004, p. 69].

It should be noted that most of the shields of ethnographic time are finger guards, they are small and cover only the thumb. In contrast, silver shields are large and "do not fit" on the hand, their width is more suitable for the arm below the shoulder; here the definition of "patch plate" is more appropriate, although, most likely, they were attached by means of leather or tendon laces. The shields are made of a thin silver plate, which, of course, could not withstand the impact of the bowstring; no traces of blows are visible on them. It can be assumed that in the manufacture of these plates, the masters imitated the hunting shields of the aborigines of Northwestern Siberia or the Urals, but made them larger, increasing the purchasing value of the product.

Two oval flaps with an embossed ornament, found on the river. Ess (judging by the description, they were attributes not of a burial ground, but of a sanctuary that included two barns) were identified by A. P. Zykov and S. F. Koksharov as ceremonial jewelry of jewelers of the Kazan Khanate; these researchers, without any arguments, refer the shields to the category of jewelry of a noble Mansi woman of the second half of the XV-XVI centuries [2002, p. 36-37].

K. A. Rudenko, doubting the unambiguous solution to the question of making silver plates in Volga Bulgaria, believes that they are not so much a military accessory as a magical symbol-part of the rites of protective magic; he also made the classification of silver plates [2005]. You can add the following to it. First, the well-known "classic" silver plates, as well as plaques with images of sokolniki, can be divided into two groups according to their thickness and manufacturing technology. From thicker and stronger plates are made, in particular, the shield from the village. Yamgort [Baulo, 2004, p. 138, photo 26], plaques from the village. Anzhigort and "Tobolsk lip". They are made without the use of black, gilding, or ribbed wire rims; the main technique is engraving. The simplicity of the products suggests that they copied Bulgarian jewelry samples and are more recent. The place of production is difficult to determine.

Secondly, the flaps of the first ("classical") group can be divided according to the presented plot, there are two of them: the eastern one itself (ornament or animals of the East) and the one focused on the northern buyer (idols, fish). In the latter case, according to N. V. Fedorova, we are dealing with the "northern component" in Bulgarian toreutics, i.e., the visual style characteristic of West Siberian art metal [2003].

There is an additional opening on a number of flaps: This is a find by M. L. Istomin, a shield with the image of fish [Syrkina, 1983, p. 191, Fig. 9], two exhibits from the collections of the International Exhibition Center (Treasures of the Ob Region..., 2003, pp. 70-71), a plate with the river Ess [Zykov and Koksharov, 2002, p. 36]; there are several holes on the shield from the Saigatinsky I sanctuary [Vostochny Khudozhestvenny Metall..., 1991, cat. 1]. The presence of one or more additional holes suggests several options for using the plate: it could be hung (sewn) to the image of a deity as a gift or face designations - a similar practice is known in the XIX-XX centuries. [Shavrov, 1871; Gemuev and Sagalaev, 1986, p. 88; Gemuev and Baulo, 1999, p. 72; et al.it may have been nailed to a small wooden idol or sewn on top of his clothes, thus indicating a "silver" breast. To the opening of the shield, which was kept as part of the cult paraphernalia of the Seung Khanty in the village. A small silk handkerchief was tied to each cohort; in this case, the shield was a gift to the patron spirit.

Badges with falconers in Western Siberia are less common than in the Urals. The presence of a hole in the edge of the mentioned badge from the Hermitage and the fact that it was purchased from Ostyakov may indicate that it was attached to the figure of the patron spirit as its face.

page 149

or the "sacred circle". Badge from the village. Anjigorta served as the face of the family spirit-patron.

It should be noted that a number of silver products have later engravings: on the reverse of the shield from the Saigatinsky I sanctuary "scratched drawing", on the reverse side of the badge "with a falconer" from the Saigatinsky IV burial ground the image of a fish [Vostochny Khudozhestvenny metal..., 1991, p. 21], on the plate from the Saigatinsky I sanctuary - an animal [Zykov et al., 1994, cat. 284], on a fragment of a plate from the village. Ovolyngort - fish and birds [Baulo, 2004, p. 49], on the shield of N. G. Rochev - two fish and an anthropomorphic, on the bracelet of M. L. Istomin - a deer. All the drawings are primitive, which most likely reflects the general level of civilization of the natives of Northwestern Siberia in the XII-XIV centuries. Most of the later images can be attributed to elements of craft magic. Perhaps this indicates that the engraved items did not end up in the "treasures of the Ugra princes", but in the sanctuaries of their divine patrons.

I hope that the introduction of new materials obtained in the Shuryshkarsky district of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District will contribute to the further development of knowledge about the place and time of production of medieval silver products, as well as about the options for their use by the indigenous population of the north of Western Siberia.

List of literature

Baulo A.V. Cult attributes of the Berezovsky Khants. Novosibirsk: Publishing House of IAEt SB RAS, 2002, 92 p. (in Russian)

Baulo A.V. Attributes and myth: metal in the rituals of the Ob Ugrians. Novosibirsk: Publishing House of IAEt SB RAS, 2004, 160 p.

Belavin A.M. Kama trade route. Medieval Pre-Urals in its economic and ethno-cultural relations. Perm: Publishing House of Perm State Pedagogical University. univ., 2000, 200 p. (in Russian)

Belavin A.M., Noskova E. N. Serebryannaya blyakha iz mogilnika Telyachiy Brod [Silver plaque from the Veal Brod burial ground]. SA. -1989. - N 2. - pp. 253-255.

Oriental art metal from the Middle Ob region. - L.: Gos. Hermitage, 1991, 42 p. (in Russian)

Gemuev I. N. Mirovozzrenie mansi: Dom i Kosmos [Mansi Worldview: Home and Space]. Novosibirsk: Nauka Publ., 1990, 232 p. (in Russian)

Gemuev I. N., Baulo A.V. Mansi sanctuaries of the upper reaches of Northern Sosva. Novosibirsk: Izd-vo IAEt SB RAS, 1999, 240 p. (in Russian)

Gemuev I. N., Baulo A.V. The Heavenly Horseman. Mansi and Khanty sacrificial veils. Novosibirsk: IAEt SB RAS, 2001, 160 p. (in Russian)

Gemuev I. N., Sagalaev A.M. Religion of the Mansi people: Places of Worship. XIX-early XX centuries-Novosibirsk: Nauka Publ., 1986, 190 p.

Gondatti, N. L., Preliminary report on a trip to Northwestern Siberia, Lukich, 2000, part 4, pp. 96-144.

Zykov A. N., Koksharov S. F. Es Island. From the prehistory of the Russian "Capture of Siberia" / / Rodina: Special issue-2002. - pp. 36-39.

Zykov A. N., Koksharov S. F., Terekhova L. M., Fedorova N. V. Ugric heritage: Antiquities of Western Siberia from the collections of the Ural University. Yekaterinburg: Vneshtorgizdat Publ., 1994, 159 p.

Leshchenko V. Yu. Plaques with hunting scenes from the Volga region/ / SA. - 1970. - N 3. - pp. 136-148.

Leshchenko V. Yu. Prikladnoe iskusstvo i mifologiya v epokhu razlozheniya patriarkhal'no-rodovogo stroya (bulgar khudozhestvenny metal v kulte finno-ugrov) [Applied Art and Mythology in the Era of decomposition of the patriarchal-tribal system (Bulgar artistic metal in the cult of Finno-Ugric peoples)]. Moscow, Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, 1981, pp. 105-126.

Rudenko K. A. Zashchitnye plastki Predural'ya i Zaural'ya [Protective plates of the Pre-Urals and Trans-Urals]. Finno-Ugrica, 2003-2004, Kazan, 2005, No. 1 (7/8), pp. 27-35.

Rudenko S. I. Graficheskoe iskusstvo ostyakov i vogulov [Graphic art of ostyaks and voguls]. Materialy po etnografii Rossii [Materials on Ethnography of Russia], Moscow, 1929, vol. 4, issue 2, pp. 13-40.

Savelyeva E. A. Medallions with oriental motifs in the European North-East / / Materials on the ethnic history of the European North-East. Syktyvkar: [B. I.], 1985, pp. 92-110.

Sirelius U. T. Journey to the Khanty Mountains. and pub. by N. V. Lukina. - Tomsk: Publishing House of the Tomsk State University, 2001. -344 p.

Smirnov Ya. P. Eastern silver: Atlas of ancient silver and gold tableware of eastern origin, found mainly within the Russian Empire. Saint Petersburg: Imp. archeol. commission, 1909. - 18 p., 300 tab.

Treasures of the Ob region: Western Siberia on the Trade Routes of the Middle Ages: Exhibition catalog. - Salekhard; St. Petersburg: Gos. Hermitage, 2003, 96 p. (in Russian)

Syrkina N. A. Klad s gorodishche Lorvozh (XII c.) / / SA. - 1983. - N 4. - pp. 182-198.

Ust-Poluy. I century BC: Exhibition catalog. - Salekhard; St. Petersburg: MAE RAS Publishing House, 2003. - 76 p.

Fedorova N. V. Torevtika Volzhskoy Bulgarii: Serebryannye izdeliya X-XIV vv. iz Zauralskikh kollektsii [Torevtics of Volga Bulgaria: Silver products of the X-XIV centuries from Trans-Ural collections] // Tr. of the Kama archaeological and ethnographic expedition. Perm: Perm State Publishing House. ped. un-ta, 2003, issue 3, pp. 138-153.

Fedorova N. V. Srednevekovoe serebro Volzhskoy Bulgarii [Medieval silver in Volga Bulgaria]. Svetozarnaya Kazan: Album-catalog of the exhibition. St. Petersburg, 2005, pp. 20-21.

Finsh O., Bram A. Journey to Western Siberia, Moscow, 1882, 540 p.

Chernetsov, V. N., The Lower Ob region in the first millennium AD, MIA, 1957, No. 58, pp. 136-246.

Shavrov V. N. Kratkiye zapiski o zhiteley Berezovskogo uyezda [Brief Notes on the inhabitants of the Berezovsky uyezd]. Chteniya v obshchestve istorii i drevnostei rossiiskikh pri MSU, 1871, Book 2, pp. 1-21.

Shatunov N. V. Sibirskaya kollektsiya Martina: Istoriya pervogo znakomstva [The Siberian Collection of Martin: The History of the first acquaintance]. - practical conference, dedicated to 70th anniversary of the Ugut enlightener P. S. Bakhlykov. - Surgut: [Surgut, type.], 2003. - p. 44-52.

Shukhov I. The Kazym River and its inhabitants / / Yearbook of the Tobol State Museum. - Tobolsk, 1916. - Vol. 26. - p. 1-57.

The article was submitted to the Editorial Board on 29.03.06.

page 150

Permanent link to this publication: