Museum complex

Badge with the image of a deer

VII-V Centuries BC.
Scythian Era
Bronze
6,6 х 3,5 cm
Receipt: Random find
Showcase 3

The deer is a recognized symbol of Scythian culture. It was associated with the sun and was sometimes considered a zoomorphic embodiment of the solar deity: "the Deer – Golden horns" was a symbol of the sun, the source of light and life on earth. Numerous images of deer were made in various forms: a deer "lying", a deer "flying", a deer "standing on outstretched legs". Those were the most common images in the applied art of ancient nomads and were known throughout the space occupied by "Scythian cultures": from Southern Siberia to the Danube. There were also various cults of the Deer in Central Asia, and nomad burials were usually accompanied by donations. An important place among them was occupied by products made in the so called "animal style", one of them is this item: a badge with the image of a deer with its head thrown back. At the same time, it was an image of an animal intended as a sacrifice to the deity, since the deer is depicted with its legs tied.
Functional purpose: part of the burial inventory.
Notice of uniqueness: a fairly rare, but not unique find for Central Asia.

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