An Old Turkic Statue at Borili, Ulytau Hills, Central Kazakhstan: Cultural Realia
Abstract
The article introduces a peculiar Old Turkic statue from Borili, discovered in the hills of Ulytau, Central Kazakhstan. It differs from other Old Turkic statues in that both arms are down and the hands are on the weapons––a sword and a battle pickaxe, the latter replacing the traditional vessel. No exact matches to this sculpture are known. Only isolated traits such as clothing style, weapons, and belt mountings are paralleled by other Old Turkic specimens. Items shown on the Borili statue are similar to those relating to the Sogdian and Turkic traditions, as well as those depicted in works of East Asian art from the time of the earliest states. Compositional features of the Borili statue could be due to the sculptor’s acquaintance with the art of the neighboring regions, primarily that of Sogdiana and China, which is spatially closest. The distinctive features of the Borili statue prompt us to examine its semantics in several ways relating to the visual and emotional aspects of the funerary rite. Based on the artistic and material parallels, the statue dates to the 7th or early 8th centuries.
About the Authors
L. N. Ermolenko
Kemerovo State University
Russian Federation
Krasnaya 6, Kemerovo, 650043
Russian Federation
Krasnaya 6, Kemerovo, 650043
A. I. Soloviev
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090
Russian Federation
Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090
Z. K. Kurmankulov
A.K. Margulan Institute of Archaeology, Committee of Science of the Ministry
of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Pr. Dostyk 44, Almaty, 050010
Kazakhstan
Pr. Dostyk 44, Almaty, 050010
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For citation:
Ermolenko L.N., Soloviev A.I., Kurmankulov Z.K. An Old Turkic Statue at Borili, Ulytau Hills, Central Kazakhstan: Cultural Realia. Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia. 2016;44(4):102-113. https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2016.44.4.102-113
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