Pages: 103-126 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.55086/sp265103126

Based on an analysis of 907 “round” Cuman sculptures, the article proposes a new typology. The principal criterion of the new classification is the type of clothing worn by the figure, while posture defines the individual variants. The material is therefore divided into two groups: figures wearing caftans and figures wearing trousers and jackets. Each type is further divided into three variants according to posture: standing, seated, and semi-seated. The article concludes that the primary feature of the canon of “round” Cuman sculpture was not posture but a particular type of clothing.
The article also examines issues related to the evolution of the statues, the emergence of “round” sculpture among the Cumans, the identity of the individuals represented, and the persons to whom the statues were dedicated. The results indicate that, by the time of the Mongol invasion, two types predominated in monumental Cuman sculpture: standing figures wearing caftans and seated figures wearing trousers and jackets. Attempts were also made to combine the two types, as evidenced by standing figures in caftans with buttocks depicted on the reverse.

Keywords: Polovtsian sculptures, new typology, caftan, trousers and jacket, standing, sitting and semi-sitting poses, evolution of sculptures, canon

Information about author:

Tatiana Potyomkina (Donetsk). Donetsk State University. Universitetskaya St., 24, Donetsk, 283001
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0009-0007-7176-7195