Abstract:
The toreutics became the leading direction in the art of steppe Eurasia of the Middle Ages. The artistic metal
was used in the design of costume, weapons, horse and equipment. These items were endowed with special
significance and therefore they are valuable source for the reconstruction of various aspects of the life of the
past people. The toreutics of the Kimaks is of particular interest, who created the state in the Ob-Irtysh interfluve
in the IXth century. Under the domination of floral elements, a certain place was given to subjects with
the image of man, animals, and geometric figures. The images of a man are a small group, but they are important
because they allow us to analyze how a man represented himself in that distant era. In the toreutics of
the Kimaks are image: scene of feast, a hunting scene, images of the horsemen figures, figure of an archer on
the horse, parts of the body, in this case, heads. The images of human figures are made realistic, stylization is
characteristic only during the manufacture of masks. Reading the symbolism of these images is possible,
based on the purpose of these products. The male characters are depicted exactly on the surface of the sword,
belt, that is, things belonging to the soldiers. The scenes of feasting and hunting — the most important elements
of socialization in the steppe society are reproduced. Thus, the appearance of a warrior in the Middle
Ages was supplemented by the images on a heroic or secular theme.
