PROCESSION: ILLUSION AND REALITY IN IRRATIONAL SPACE (to the problem of iconography and composition in ancient art)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of classification of iconographic and compositional types in the monuments of ancient art, in particular, the so-called «processions», which are associated with the artistic design of the objects belonging to the sphere of great semantic meaning. Being located on objects of the category of personal adornments and weapons, on architectural monuments or ritual objects, they are always associated with sacred acts, mythological space and ritual content. Interpretation of these compositions is impossible without a primary classification, which has not yet been developed, and this causes difficulties in research.
 Compositions, which could be concerned as processions could consist of anthropomorphic or zoomorphic images, or comprise both type of images in the same composition. All of them always show some rhythmical characteristics with constant intervals as well as evident direction of movement.
 In some occasions such type of compositions could be taken as an embodiment of the scene of a concrete ritual event, sometimes, perhaps, with costumed as mythological personage figures, but in other case they could be interpreted as a mythological subject with well-known images, which were recognizable for ancient society. In any case reiteration of images and regular intervals in compositions made an impression of slow movement in solemn procession, even with statical figures.