A Study on the Art Style of Animal Fight in Scytian Ornaments

스키타이계(系) 장식품(裝飾品)에 나타난 동물투쟁문(動物鬪爭文)에 대(對)한 연구(硏究)

This is a study on the art style of amimal fight in Scytian ornaments which had been popular in Steppe region of Eurasia. Animals were considered to have magical power and to provide protection against evil or disaster and representations of them thus occupied an important place in life. This style reflected the mythology, the ethical and aesthetic ideals of the warrior-nomad. With a magnificent understanding of composition and the essential nature of the material, craftsmen fashioned utilitarian objects in animal form: weaponry, horse trappings, clothes, ornaments and jewellery and other everyday objects were all decorated with zoomorphic motifs. Without copying nature, they accurately conveyed the essence of every beast depicted. The highly stylized modelling uses bold accentuated planes, while distinctive features associated with particular species are emphasized and exaggerated. The purpose and meaning of the animal motifs used in Scythian ornaments appears that in some cases the work was intended to be purely ornamental, while many times the motifs had symbolic meaning (such as the successful dominance of the aggressor over the victim portrayed in the attack scenes). Magical use of symbols may have been intended to guarantee the power of the aggressor.