Silver Vessels Research Articles

Rock Art at the Karaftou Cave and its Surrounding Areas, North of Kurdistan

One of the most important obstacles in the study of rock arts in Iran is the lack of an established chronological framework. Some researchers consider these motifs to be related to late Pleistocene and early Holocene periods (Izad Panah, 1348). However, recent field studies show more recent dates for rock arts. One of these studies concerns the Karafto Cave in Kurdistan province which can serve as a chronological basis for the study of rock arts in the entire Kurdistan province. The Karafto Cave is a complex of natural caverns whose entrance and some of its natural passageways have been manipulated during the Historical (Parthian) period (Bernard 1980; Gall 1978, 2010). The existence of a Greek inscription on the frontispiece of one of the rooms of the cave demonstrates that the cave was used as a temple for the Greek god Hercules (Gall 1978). Considering the similarity between the motifs of hunting or fighting horsemen in the Karafto Cave with the motifs engraved on golden and silver vessels of Parthian and Sassanid periods along with other evidence such as the Greek inscription, the rock-cut architectural features, the pottery evidence, and other data obtained from the excavations, one can conclude that some of the motif complexes (especially those created in the man-made spaces of the cave) were probably made in the Seleucid-Parthian or Sassanid periods.

The Tassels of Royal and Divine Sasanian Horses

The Tassels of Royal and Divine Sasanian Horses

Mazers and the drinking culture of late medieval England

ABSTRACT Mazers, drinking vessels often made of maple, were an important part of the material culture of medieval England from at least the first half of the twelfth century. They were significant for the range of meanings they brought to the consumption of drink. In some elite households, they had prestigious associations; elsewhere across society, they made important connections between families, in terms of inheritance and identity, and helped perpetuate memory and constitute memorial practices; as communal drinking vessels, they brought people together in common causes, in families, in gilds and chantries, even acting as a medium for conveying indulgences. They also marked a social distinction between those parts of society commonly drinking wine, who mainly used silver vessels, and those of lesser status, who more usually drank ale. The largest numbers were found in towns, and in monasteries, where the personal use of silver vessels by monks was discouraged.

Objects of the Funerary Cult in the Han Dynasty. Gold and Silver Items. Aesthetics of Gold and Silver in the Han Dynasty

The unification of China under the rule of the Han Dynasty and the subsequent prosperity of the state inevitably led to a sharp increase in the production of gold and silver items. The emperors of the Western Han Dynasty often rewarded officials who had served with gold to the extent that cast gold discs and gold bars were included in circulation. Looking at the gold and silver items that archaeologists find in the tombs of the Han period makes one see the superiority of utensils in this era over the items of previous periods both in quantity and in their typology, and possibly in terms of manufacturing complexity. Having become an independent craft, separate from traditional bronze casting, it strongly influenced the art of subsequent Chinese dynasties. Gilding technologies appeared in China as early as the early Zhanguo period. This highly commendable art used in the decoration of bronze, which was densely covered with gold, reached its maturity in the pre-Qin period and gained popularity during the Han Dynasty. Most importantly, in the Han Dynasty, the fine art of decorating with silver and gold reached a new, higher level and, no longer being part of the bronze casting craft, received independent development. Silver utensils of the Han period are found evenly throughout the territory of modern China. Silver caskets, funnel-shaped vessels and many ornaments were found in the tombs of the Jing king, Liu Sheng, in Zhongshan, the Huai king, Liu Xiu, and the Mu king, Liu Chan, in the same city district. Gold and silver vessels are evidence of the development of the art of working with gold and silver. Silver and gold vessels that archaeologists find in the graves of the highest tribal nobility of the Han Dynasty not only speak of the high level of this industry in the Han Dynasty but also testify to a unique culture and help us better understand the society of this time.

On an Enigmatic Deity with a Dragon on a Chorasmian Silver Bowl from Dagestan

At least five specimens constituting the small group of Chorasmian silver vessels present an image of the Mesopotamian goddess Nana who was very popular in pre-Islamic Central Asia. One silver bowl found in Dagestan at present kept in the State Hermitage Museum is embellished with the image of a deity sitting on a dragon whose identity is not clear. Scholars considered this deity to be a woman because of her clean-shaven face, long hair and garments. However, Kushan rulers had been representing on their coins one Zoroastrian god as a woman since the 2nd century A.D. He was Tir, the god of the planet Mercury who had connections to the Avestan rain god Tishtrya. Despite the problematic associations between Tir and Tishtrya, Central Asian peoples had superimposed this Zoroastrian god to Mesopotamian Nabu who was the patron of scribes and the original “husband” of Nana. Nabu’s symbolic animal was a dragon that is very similar to the one on the Chorasmian bowl from Dagestan. Most likely, Chorasmian artists kept reproducing on their metalwork iconographic elements that originated in Mesopotamia after adapting them to their own religious and cultural sphere.

Серебряные сосуды из Майкопского кургана (Ошад): реалистичные рисунки с магическим подтекстом

In 1897 Russian archaeologist N. I. Veselovsky excavated an Early Bronze Age burial mound on the eastern outskirts of Maykop town. He found some silver vessels covered with images, made by the technique of contour embossing. Although the landscapes, flora and fauna on these objects, most likely performing a ritual function, were conveyed with a high degree of reliability, the original meaning of the images still remains a subject of controversy. The total floristic and faunal composition of the drawings is quite extensive: two species of plants, three species of birds, eight species of mammals. Most of the researchers who previously dealt with this issue spoke about the impossibility of considering these images as ordinary drawings, believing that they have a deep meaning. The joint circular movement in the sun is considered an extremely favorable magical effect for most of the peoples of Eurasia. The large wild animals are important intermediaries between humans and gods. For example, in ancient Hittite and Siberian mythology, they represented the sacred totems “beasts of the gods” or “patron spirits”. Most likely, the drawings on the vessel “with the landscape” make up a single semantic composition, the plot, perhaps the simplest map-scheme: a bear guards the World Tree growing far in the north at the foothills of the World Mountain, where the two sacred rivers originate from.

The Iconography of Dancers and Their Garments on Sasanid Silver Vessels (Case Study: Four Silver Vessels with Different Features)

ABSTRACT Made in the midst of the Sasanid period, Sasanid silver vessels are one of the most important relics of the period that along with abundant archaeological data, convey valuable insights into the cultural past of Sasanid society, the people and their beliefs. The artworks carved on these vessels, besides their aesthetic features, cover a wide range of subjects in the political, social, religious, and cultural spheres. Although the Sasanid silver vessels have been the subject of many pieces of research, what is less noticed, is the iconographical analysis of dancers and their garments. The present study, which is based on the theory of Erwin Panofsky, examine the attires of dancers carved on four Sasanid silver vessels from the perspective of religious tendencies of Sasanid society. The results show that due to the religious nature of the Sasanid rituals, the dancers and the costumes they wore were closely connected to the religious beliefs of the Zoroastrians.

The tradition of facet-cut bowls from Pannonia – New fragments from Brigetio

Abstract The method of facet-cutting was invented in the 1st century AD. The glass cutters began to create zoned facet-cut decoration to arrange the facets in horizontal zones divided by linear grooves mostly in Isings 96 bowl in the second half of 2nd century and first half of 3rd century AD. A look at the distribution and the major concentrations of sites reveals that they had been manufactured in four main regions: the Rhine region (perhaps at Cologne), Pannonia, Syria (possibly at Dura Europos) and the Pontic, at Tanais. Its popularity is best indicated by the fact that this elegant ornamental technique began to be applied on silverware which clearly imitated the glass bowls, as shown by the adoption of the Isings 96 hemispherical bowl form that was lacking from among silver vessels.

Technical features of a ninth-century silver vessel of southern China uncovered from Famen Monastery, Shaanxi province

Silver art is an important feature of the Tang dynasty in China and the manufacturing center for silver shifted from north to south after the mid-eighth century CE. The typology, stylistics, and iconography of silver vessels from both regions have been studied in detail. However, their technical characteristics have rarely been discussed, in particular, those of the southern ones. The current study presents a non-invasive scientific analysis on a partially-gilded silver box from Jiangnanxidao of Tang (southern China), uncovered from the pagoda crypt of the Famen Monastery, Shaanxi province. The results reveal that the box was made of refined silver from cupellation, and composed of five pieces, brazed together with hard solder. Ag–Cu alloy was identified to braze the ring foot and the box bottom. Brazing, hammering, engraving, repoussé, chasing, punching, and partial fire-gilding were employed to shape and decorate the box. More strikingly, the comparative analysis of technical details between this southern box and the previously reported northern silver vessels demonstrates that the former is more precise. Moreover, the similarities in motif expressions of southern-origin silver vessels after the mid-eighth century CE and northern-origin silver vessels before the mid-eighth century CE reflect the inheritance of decorative style. These differences and inheritance indicate that southern artisans after the mid-eighth century CE inherited the decorative technology of the northern-origin silver vessels before the mid-eighth century CE and developed them to greater perfection. The current study presents novel insights into the silver technology of southern China during the late Tang dynasty.

Non-destructive handheld XRF study of archaeological composite silver objects\u2014the case study of the late Roman Seuso Treasure

This study details the non-destructive chemical analysis of composite silver objects (ewers, situlas, amphora and casket) from one of the most significant late Roman finds, the Seuso Treasure. The Seuso Treasure consists of fourteen large silver vessels that were made in the fourth–early fifth centuries AD and used for dining during festive banquets and for washing and beautification. The measurements were systematically performed along a pre-designed grid at several points using handheld X-ray fluorescence analysis. The results demonstrate that all the objects were made from high-quality silver (above 90 wt% Ag), with the exception of the base of the Geometric Ewer B. Copper was added intentionally to improve the mechanical properties of soft silver. The gold and lead content of the objects shows constant values (less than 1 wt% Au and Pb). The chemical composition as well as the Bi/Pb ratio suggests that the parts of the composite objects were manufactured from different silver ingots. The ewers were constructed in two ways: (i) the base and the body were made separately, or (ii) the ewer was raised from a single silver sheet. The composite objects were assembled using three methods: (i) mechanical attachment; (ii) low-temperature, lead-tin soft solders; or (iii) high-temperature, copper-silver hard solders. Additionally, two types of gilding were revealed by the XRF analysis, one with remnants of mercury, i.e. fire-gilding, and another type without remnants of mercury, presumably diffusion bonding.

Three Silver Dishes from Yugra

We introduce medieval silver dishes found near Peregrebnoye, Oktyabrsky District, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug–Yugra, Western Siberia. In our opinion, they are associated with the Peregrebnoye I fortified site, dating to the late first to early second millennia AD. They may also have belonged to an Ob Ugric sanctuary. A chronological and cultural attribution of the dishes is proposed. The dish likely representing an ibex is considered to be Sogdian, belonging to the second stage of School A, according to B.I. Marshak. It has several parallels among the medieval silver vessels from the Kama basin. The tripod dish, showing a lion clawing a deer against a background decorated with a circular stamp, is either Sogdian or eastern Iranian, dating to late 8th to 10th centuries. The one representing a king riding a horse and accompanied by two warriors is a somewhat simplified replica of Sasanian prototypes, and could have been manufactured in one of the trade centers of eastern Iran or Central Asia no earlier than the 8th century—likely in the 9th–10th centuries. The Peregrebnoye finds are analyzed with reference to the 8th–10th century Sogdian and eastern Iranian silver vessels from the Lower Ob region. Their distribution area includes the Severnaya Sosva and Synya Rivers, and the vicinity of Berezovo.

Josef Wiesehöfer. “Women of the Sassanid Dynasty (224-651 CE)”

Although there is much evidence on Sasanian kings, we know little about their wives – not even the two attested ruling queens of the dynasty. Foreign and non-contemporary narratives often help to reconstruct this female world, with all the related problematics. Wiesehofer divides royal women into three ‘chronological’ paragraphs, based on primary (i.e., rock reliefs, seals, inscriptions, coins, silver vessels), foreign (including internal sources but from a different ecumene than the royal o...

Shaping Symbols of Privilege: Precious Metals and the Early Liao Aristocracy

Shaping Symbols of Privilege:Precious Metals and the Early Liao Aristocracy François Louis Appreciation by Valerie Hansen New Appreciation François Louis, "Shaping Symbols of Privilege: Precious Metals and the Early Liao Aristocracy," JSYS 33 (2003): 71–109. Given the paucity of Kitan-language sources,1 how can the modern analyst best recover the Kitan point of view? Today we take it for granted that any serious academic study of the Liao must draw upon both classical Chinese and archeological sources. This pioneering article by François Louis about gilt silver vessels and crowns brilliantly illustrates the power of such an approach. This article explicates important archeological finds that most Western scholars barely registered at the time, including the tomb of Yelü Yuzhi 耶律之 (890–941), excavated in 1996, and that of the Princess of Chen 陳國公主 (1001–1018), excavated in 1986. Unusually, the Princess of Chen tomb had not been disturbed.2 Louis's detailed observations and meticulous drawings of objects underpin his analysis. Explaining that the "slovenly manufacture" of the princess's crown "stands in great contrast to the meticulously pierced and finely chased workmanship of [her husband] Xiao Shaoju's crown," Louis concludes that the prince may have worn his crown when alive, but that the princess's was made for burial (p. 123, Figures 9, 10). The two crowns "reflect what everyone today recognizes as a typical Liao style" (p. 121). That style had not yet taken shape in 942 when Yelü Yuzhi was buried. The metal objects in his tomb fall into three distinct groups: Kitan, Chinese, and Chinese-Turkish. Drawing on Chinese-language sources with great skill, Louis highlights the importance of the transfer of the imperial seal from the Later Jin 後晉 (936–947) to the Liao 遼 in 938, which marked the Liao as the legitimate successors to the Later Jin and, more significantly, to their predecessors, the Tang dynasty. In 947 the Liao overthrew the Later Jin and forcibly relocated their imperial craftsmen to the Supreme Capital (Balinzuo Banner 巴林左旗, Inner Mongolia). Louis identifies a conscious effort by artisans to create a "distinct Liao [End Page 91] metalworking tradition" with certain elements adopted from the Chinese, the Xi and Bohai 渤海 peoples, who had all been defeated by the Kitan (p. 73). The tenth century saw the formation of a national Liao style in other media as well. Detailing the items of clothing, jewelry, and footwear, that the emperor and his wife wore at the annual sacrifice to Heaven and Earth at Muye Mountain, the Liao shi 遼史 distinguishes their "national clothing" (guofu 國服) from "Chinese clothing" (hanfu 漢服) (p. 90). The conquered peoples contributed more than motifs: the silver that the Song dynasty sent as annual tribute after the 1005 Treaty of Chanyuan was the main constituent in the Liao metal crowns and vessels. Louis has a remarkable ability to move from analysis of a specific metal objects to the larger topic of Liao national identity. That's what makes this classic article as stimulating to read today as when it first appeared in 2003. [End Page 92] valerie hansen yale university Footnotes 1. Few materials in Kitan survive, and the decipherment is in its very early stages. See Daniel Kane, The Kitan Language and Script (Leiden: Brill, 2009). 2. The Princess of Chen tomb was featured in the 2006 Asia Society exhibit, "Gilded Splendor: Treasures of China's Liao Empire, 907–1125," which has an unusually good website: http://sites.asiasociety.org/arts/liao/ (accessed May 15, 2021). Introduction Between 1987 and 1991 several dozen gold and silver ritual vessels of a purported Liao-period origin appeared on the international art market.1 Most of those utensils carry long Chinese inscriptions explaining that they were commissioned in the 1020s by Liao dignitaries as gifts to an important Yelü 耶律 clan temple associated with minister Yelü Longyun 耶律隆運 (941–1011).2 From a connoisseur's point of view, the vessels may be considered stylistically awkward, iconographically inexplicit, and crafted in a relatively crude manner—especially when compared with the refined and celebrated metalwork produced under the Tang and Five Dynasties.3 Such unflattering artistic [End Page 93] qualities and the serious concerns about authenticity they raise found their reflection in...

The King Of Mysore Tipu Sultan and His Religious Legacy”

Tipu cherished the welfare of both the Muslims and the Hindus in his state. He had a yearning love for freedom from the British yoke. Tipu Sultan was radical in more than one sense. He was the first to ban consumption of alcohol in the entire state, not on religious grounds. He didn't worry about the decline in income due to it. He was praised for this act by Gandhi. He was the father of missile technology. He was the first to introduce sericulture in the Mysore state.As a Muslim ruler in a largely Hindu domain, Tipu Sultan faced problems in establishing the legitimacy of his rule and in reconciling his desire to be seen as a devout Islamic ruler with the need to be pragmatic to avoid antagonizing the majority of his subjects.During his period 90% alms was given to the Hindus. When the Marathas plundered Sirungeri Mutt, killed the Brahmins and took the golden statue of Sarathadevi, Tipu Sultan gave donations to renovate it and sent his general SeyadMohmad to give protection to the Sankarachariyar of Sringeri.The temple at Melkote still has gold and silver vessels with inscriptions indicating that they were presented by the Sultan. Tipu Sultan also presented four silver cups to the Lakshmi Kanta temple at Kalale.

POLE-TOPS OF CHMYREVA MOHYLA BARROW

In 1977 on the site of famous burial mound Chmyrеva Mohyla located on the northern outskirts of Velyka Bilozerka village of Zaporizhzhia region three bronze pole-tops with images of gryphons were found by local people on the plowed field. There is no evidence whether other artifacts have been found. Luckily nearby in Gunovka village the expedition of Institute of Archaeology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was working under the leadership of Yu. V. Boltryk who got the founded artifacts and then sent them to Zaporizhzhia regional museum of local lore, history and economy. The history of excavations of Chmyrеva Mohyla numbers more than a century. They were started by F. A. Braun in 1898, M. I. Veselovskiy (1909—1910) continued the excavations and Yu. V. Boltryk in 1994 completed them. The burial mound has not been excavated in full because of various reasons. The destiny of finds from this barrow was tragic. A lot of artifacts among them silver vessels from the hiding-place which was revealed by M. I. Veselovskiy were lost during the World War II when the collections of Kharkiv historic museum were evacuated.
 Scythian bronze pole-tops as one of the most interesting categories of artifacts for a long time attracted attention of scholar world. They were classified by types and date, their significance in funeral ceremony and everyday life was searched for. The questions still remain. In this article we tried to put into scholar circulation a scanty type of pole-tops with the image of pacing gryphon on the pear-shaped little bell which is characteristic only for Steppe Dnieper river region. For today only eight of them are known and most of them are originated from of the burial mounds of high Scythian aristocracy: Tovsta Mohyla, Haimanova Mohyla, Chmyrova Mohyla. Chronologically they are slightly differed from other pole-tops both with the image of deer on pear-shaped little bells from Tovsta Mohyla, and with the image of deer on flat cone bushes from Haimanova Mohyla. The question about the place of production of such pole-tops is still opened. Probably just these types of pole-tops could be produced in one workshop but not all known variety of objects as V. A. Ilinska thought. One of the problems to be solved by researchers is searching for such workshops. But if these objects have been moulded by wax models the task becomes more complicated.

BARROW 6 OF VODOSLAVKA BURIAL GROUND. THE GRAVE OF SCYTHIAN NOBILITY

This is the first publication of the barrow 6 of burial ground placed near Vodoslavka village in Novotroitskyi district of Kherson Oblast of Ukraine. Under the small mound of soil 1.4 m height two wealthy persons were buried in the same catacomb with two entering pits. Due to stratigraphy observation, the funeral rate in this case had two phases. Firstly, the body of Scythian noble warrior was placed in the grave in his armour and with weapon. Near him on the West his horse was putted in separate small grave. Some time since, the woman’s corpse dressed in ceremonial gown with gold decoration was placed near man in his grave. Lately, the grave was robbed (probably not long time since funeral rates). But robbers used the second entering pit for their purpose. It is very uncommon, that after taking some of the grave goods and disturbing the upper part of bodies, thefts have leaved in the second entering pit the animal sacrifice (?) — horse corpse.
 The grave goods demonstrate the high social level of the two Scythians. The man was buried with representative set of weapon: set of ranged weapon, spears and javelins, scaled armour and antique greaves. On the woman’s skeleton the number of gold clothes decorations were recorded. Besides that, the set of silver table ware was found inside the catacomb, and the entrance to the grave was lock with wagon parts.
 The analysis of the gold appliquйs and rings, armour, weapon and silver vessels shows the time of burial — second—third quarter of the 4th century BC. The area, where these noble Scythians found their last resting place, was strategically important at that time. This barrow was built on the way that leaded from the Bosporan Kingdom to the center of the Scythia in the Dnieper River area.

Mineralogy of Sasanian Bullae

Mineralogy of Sasanian Bullae

‘For this is a trait of a rhetorical and double-tongued man’: artifice and ambiguity in Middle Byzantine art

ABSTRACTThe State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg houses a group of small silver and silver-gilt vessels, thought to have been made in Byzantium and dated to the twelfth century. The vessels are decorated with engraved and relief images that predominantly, but not exclusively, refer to the world of secular entertainments: a small vessel from Berezov bears around one hundred tightly stacked, small-scale images that show dancers, musicians, animals, and hybrids, whilst its inside displays a portrait of the warrior saint, St George; a shallow vessel from Vilgort is decorated with images of animals and hunting scenes on its outside, and on its inside bears a central roundel showing a couple surrounded by animals; and a bowl formerly in the collection of the Russian émigré Alexander Basilevsky shows twelve individual figures under arches, including dancers and musicians, on its outside and a pair of griffins on its inside. These three dishes, which will form the focus of this article, and their variegated images confront the viewer (and scholar) with a problem: how should the complex and often ambiguous imagery of the precious metal dishes be interpreted? Is a single, coherent meaning intended by their decoration, or is the latter a jumble of meaningless scenery? The clue to their interpretation can be found, as will be argued, in contemporary rhetorical strategies and performances. Riddles and ‘double-tonguedness’ prominently featured in twelfth-century rhetorical performances and works, and even, this is suggested, in material culture. Studying visual and rhetorical displays together can illuminate not only the interpretation of individual artworks, but also the broader relationship in medieval Byzantium between rhetoric and the visual arts.

Sajjad Alibaigi, Alireza Moradi Bisotuni, Fereshteh Rahimi, Shokouh Khosravi, Hossein Alibaigi. “The Late Sasanian Treasury of Qouri Qaleh Cave: Votive Offerings for a Mithra Temple in Kermanshah, Western Iran”

The cave of Qūri Qaleh with a small mouth opening in southwards is located on the southern slope of Sāhū mountain, 31 km south-east of Pāvēh in Kermānsāh province. In 1997, a treasury was accidentally discovered as a result of redesigning the entrance to improve access to the cave. The treasury included: eight silver vessels, 15 coins, and two pithoi very similar to the Parthian storage jars (p. 230). Then in 2001, some of the silver vessels with the Middle Persian inscription were studied...

Some New Readings of Chorasmian Inscriptions on Silver Vessels and Their Relevance to the Chorasmian Era

Abstract The article represents an attempt to read and analyze five of eleven inscriptions in Old Chorasmian language written in cursive Chorasmian script. These inscriptions are incised on silver vessels which were mostly found in the Kama region of the district of Perm in Russia. The article is divided into sections. Its first section presents a list of the material discussed and the status quaestionis of the article, introduces the variations of the Chorasmian script throughout time. The second section is devoted to the analysis of the words which are recurrent in the inscriptions and to the definition of the formularies used in the inscriptions under scrutiny. The third section provides tentative reading of inscriptions on five vessels kept in the Hermitage museum. It is here assumed that some of the Chorasmian inscriptions indicate that the vessels were votive offerings to Nanaia and probably to other deities. The fourth and last section of the paper focuses on the indications of weight attested on silver vessels and on the related chronology. It is shown that the value of the unit of weight (ZWZN /stēr/) on most of the vessels (c. 3,6-3,7 grams) corresponds to the silver standard weight used in the coinage of the Chorasmian king Shaushfarn and his less prominent predecessor Shyat. Consequently, it is assumed that the Chorasmian silver vessels were labeled and probably produced during Shaushfarn’s reign about the mid-8th century AD. Since four inscriptions with indication of weight are dated according to the Chorasmian Era (years from 700 to 723(?) of this era), this observation supports the author’s opinion that this indigenous era started towards the mid-1st century AD.