Pages: 215-219

During excavations of Western Rus’ towns, a number of bone onlays related to the Golden Horde circle were found. They all have a similar form of narrow elongated plates, general nature and methods of ornamentation, with the use of geometrical, floral and zoomorphic motifs. Most of them have close analogies among bone onlays on quivers of the 13th — 14th centuries found in the Volga region. The three plates found in Volkovysk and Lukoml are undoubtedly related to them in form, technique and ornamental motifs but nevertheless they stand apart. The ornament on them is arranged horizontally rather than in vertically set horizontal bands like on the Golden Horde onlays on quivers. Perhaps, these onlays decorated something else and were local variations on the nomadic theme. Along with the bone onlays, other groups of goods related by their origin or genesis with the material culture of Golden Horde (ceramics, metal plates on bags and earrings in the form of a question mark) were found in the territory of Belarus. Perhaps some of the finds are associated with the Tatars who settled in the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania on the invitation of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, who appreciated them as great warriors. All these finds as a whole indicate a significant impact of the Golden Horde on the artistic handicraft of Western Rus’ due to the presence of people from the Golden Horde and their craft traditions.

Keywords: Golden Horde, Western Rus’, 13th—14th centuries, bone onlays, Golden Horde influences, local imitations.

Information about author:

Kristina Lavysh (Minsk, Belarus). Candidate of Arts. The Center for Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature Research, Institute of Arts, Ethnography and Folklore of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Department of Fine and Decorative Arts. Surganov St., 1/2, Minsk, 220072, Belarus
E-mail: [email protected]