Ранневизантийские элементы престижного конского снаряжения с декором в стилн ерегородчатой инкрустации в постгуннское время (Восточная Европа, Подунавье и евразийские степи)
Résumé
The elements of prestigious horse harness of the Early Byzantine origin, decorated with
cloisonné inlay style, have long been identified among the steppe nomads of the Post-Hunnic Period (the
so-called Shipovo horizon from the second third of the fifth to the second third of the sixth centuries), as
well as among the sedentary barbarians in Eastern and Central Europe. These finds include disc-shaped
badges or plaques or appliques, rectangular belt-ends, and horse bits with zoomorphic images. Now
it is difficult to infer specific mechanisms for the distribution of prestigious Early Byzantine artefacts
in the Barbaricum in the Post-Hunnic Period. It looks like that apart from the usual military trophies
these items could have been included in diplomatic gifts. Written sources testify to specific cases of
donation of horse accessories (saddles) to barbarian leaders. Along with weapons, these artefacts could
also be obtained as a result of a symbolic investment of the Empire’s allies on behalf of the emperor.
The hypothesis of making the artefacts in the cloisonné inlay style directly in the Barbaricum seems
less probable, though the presence there of craftsmen including those who knew the technique of
the Constantinople jewellery “school” is quite possible. However, it should be remembered that the
technique of sawing and processing precious stones was particularly complex and was owned by a very
limited number of craftsmen. Therefore, the overwhelming majority of barbarian jewellery pieces from
the Hunnic and Post-Hunnic Periods used the secondary-used stones, in contrast to the case of the finds
in steppe, like those from Morskoi Chulek, Bylym-Kudinetovo, Ialpug, or Altynkazgan. Rather, the
latter were made in the Mediterranean workshops.
Origine : Accord explicite pour ce dépôt