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This astonishingly beautiful gold ram was made
by – or for – the Scythians, a semi-nomadic
Central Asian group who originated in Iran but
roamed across much of the Ukraine, Russia and
the Pontic Steppe from about 1000 BC through
the period of classical antiquity. They are known
historically from Greek records, and
archaeologically on the basis of their
extravagantly ornate metalwork in burial mounds
from above Greece all the way to Central Asia.
They appear in the historical sources of other
peoples – including the Assyrians, who they tried
to invade in 770 BC, and the Persians, who tried
to return the favour in 512 BC – but have left no
written evidence of their own. Socially they are
hard to assess, given the fairly mobile nature of
their way of life, although there is epigraphic and
graphic evidence of their appearance and some
of their customs. Inevitably, their funeral
behaviour is well understood, as is their
technology, which was often acquired or
commissioned from settled communities. Their
main period of prosperity was in the second half
of the first millennium BC, fading away in the
face of competition from the Sarmantians and
the Celts, then attacks by the Goths, at the turn
of the millennium. They were by all
accounts a martial and fierce people, much
associated with noble barbarism, where women
fought alongside men (seemingly with similar
status) and both sexes were regularly tattooed
with zoomorphic designs that also appear in
their artwork (and also on their frozen bodies –
see the Pazyryk tombs). As a mobile way of life
was not conducive to metalworking or other
craft/art pursuits, most Scythian masterworks –
of which there are an inordinate number – were
designed by the Scythians but actually made by
the Greeks. These include jewellery, horse
harnesses and weapons, and also a large
proportion of works in gold, which were highly
valued and viewed as status symbols. It is from
the imagery on these items that the Scythians
gain their glamorous if sanguineous reputation.
The Scythians were obsessed with horses, which
were after all the foundation of their lifestyle.
However, their iconography demonstrates a
regard for all nature of animals and human forms
as illustrated by the current piece. The figure
depicts a reclining ram with its right foreleg
extended
and the other tucked alongside its body. While
relaxed, it is also alert, with raised head and
wide-open eyes. The ground is smooth and
flawless gold, with the eyes, nostrils, mouth and
facial contours all crisply defined. The horns and
ears demonstrate exceptional detail, with even
the growth rings on the horns being clearly
visible. Tiny marks detailing the position of the
vertebrae are also visible on the back of the
piece. The animal in question is unusual in that
it is wearing a triple-banded collar with linear
and circular decoration, and more so for the pair
of inlaid turquoises on the front of the piece and
the single stone on the right shoulder. The role
of such an object is hard to identify, although it
is hollow beneath with a metal rod protruding.
This could have been used to secure it to a piece
of leatherware associated with harnesses or
similar (this is the most probable option, given
the Scythians’ mobile lifestyles). Not dissimilar
pieces have been found across the range of the
group, but the animals favoured are usually deer,
boar, horses and lions. Further, the piece is
unusually refined and naturalistic, and evokes
the best aspects of Greek sculpture just as much
as it evokes the greatest of Scythian style. The
significance of this piece is unknown, but for all
intents and purposes it would appear to be
unique. This is a world-class piece of ancient art,
and is destined to find a place with the most
discerning of collectors.
- (LO.1416 (LSO))
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