Аннотация:Representations of the Elk in the East European Scythian Animal Style
(Classification, Typology, Chronology)
The article is devoted to the systematization of the representations of
the elk, which are popular in the art of the Scythian Animal Style of the
Eastern Europe. The systematization was made on the general principles
of the classification of the pieces of the Scythian Animal Style, grounded
by the author and earlier applied to the analysis of some other examples of
the Scythian zoomorphic art. In course of the present investigation there
have been revealed 17 types of the representation of the elk (the wholefigure
and the reduced ones), to which belong 88 original representations
(copies are not taken into consideration), dated in VIIth — beginning of
the IIIrd cent. B.C. Here belong 6 types of the whole-figure representations
of the elk (19 original representations, i.e. a little more than 21%), and
11 types of the representations of a separate head of the elk (69 original
representations, i.e. a little less than 79%).
On the basis of the independent chronoindicators and iconographic
dynamics the author has elaborated chronology of each type. The analysis
of generals chronology of the types has shown, that the artists-bearers of
the Scythian Animal style turned to the image of elk from the VIIth cent. B.C.
until the end of the IIIrd cent. B.C.: the peak of popularity of this
image falls on the period of the Vth — first half of the IVth cent. B.C. The
majority of the representations and types belong to this time.
The beginning of the realization of this theme is connected here with
famous Zhabotinsky representations, while the initial sources of the birth
of the image of the elk in the Animal Style of the Eastern Europe of the
“Archaic” period remain unclear. It is possible that the specific iconography
of the “Scythian elk” has been directly influenced by the natural prototypes
and was born during the formation of the animal style itself with
simultaneous influence of the iconography of a deer, close in landscape
relation and biologically, which was given sometimes a droopy elk-like
muzzle. The iconography of a deer in its turn was born in the Animal Style
of the Eastern Europe under the influence of doubtless impulses from the
Eastern zones of the Scythian Siberian world and with participation of the
art of the Near East.
The whole-figure representation of the elk in bounded in general by
the “Scythian Archaic” period, i.e. VII–VI cent. B.C., while the motives
of the separate head of the elk was practically unknown then and in most
cases is connected with the “Scythian Classics” period, i.e. with V–IV cent.
B.C. The representations of the elk have been most often applied to the
decoration of the bronze belt bridle belongings of a badge, much more
seldom — the arms, in unique cases — the elements of a costume. The
classification and typology made let us point out the general directions of
the development of the iconography of the elk in the Scythian Animal Style
of the Eastern Europe, as well as the cross-points of the connection with the
other zoomorphic themes.