A study on the Scythian Bracelets

Abstract

Scythians kept herds of horses, cattle, and sheep, lived in tent-covered wagons, and fought with bows and arrows on horseback. They developed a rich culture characterized by opulent tombs, fine metalwork, and a brilliant art style. The excavations of royal burials have provided the most complete record of the jewelry of the Scythians. Typical art objects were in the form of stags or other animals, hammered or stamped out of gold and often inlaid with colored stones or glass. The Bracelet consisted of two of distinct technique : One made from heavy forged gold bars, terminated with more delicate spiraled finals. Another technique used beaten gold foil, perhaps as thick as a piece of paper with fabulous designs repousse and chased (impressed in relief into the gold with small hammers and chisels) into the metal. They also used stones and clay dies to form gold foil into people repeated also motifs for use in torques and belts.The Scythian Bracelet were divided into 4 styles according to the shape, Bracelets with ends shaped like beasts style, Spiral style, Layers style, Crown with openwork style.Scythian Bracelet in the Black Sea region had completely degenerated, stifled by motifs and shapes of Greek origin, retaining its representational realism and its full emotional vitality