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Late 13th - first half of the 14th century Golden Horde Raised, polished, chased, engraved and gilded silver This festive drinking vessel is richly decorated. Eight
of its convex lobes are embellished with figures of animals and birds
in arched and lancet frames, the remaining four with palmettes in lancet
frames. The order in which the figures are placed would seem to suggest
that in the craftsman's conception the central place in the composition
belonged to a seated sphinx in a three-part crown - a fabulous beast with
the body of a lion and the head of a woman. From the middle of the 11th
century the sphinx was one of the most popular images in the Middle East.
A Middle Eastern influence can also be detected in the depictions of hunting
birds, a leopard, a dog and a gazelle. The image of the deer with stylized
antlers derives from Chinese art. Together with the lotus flower, the
depiction of fallow-deer has a benedictory character and, according to
the Chinese tradition, symbolizes wishes for nobility and longevity. The
image of an eagle-headed griffin on the vessel is close kin to the fantastic
beasts on a number of Iranian works of the 12th-13th centuries. The decoration
of the vessel displays the influence of different cultures which reflects
the geopolitical position of the Golden Horde from the mid-13th century
as an intermediary between Europe, the Near East and China in commercial
and cultural exchange. |
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Copyright © 2006 State Hermitage Museum |
