Scythian, 7th – 5th century B.C.

Bronze

H: 6 cm, W: 5.3 cm

Serial: 2615

Provenance

Private collection, acquired in the late 1970s – early 1980s

This bronze figurine of a deer is a good illustration of the so called “Animal Style” that developed in the area of the Russian Steppes during the 7th – 4th centuries B.C. This style emerged from the largely nomadic Scythian civilization, which occupied the area north of the Black Sea, bordered by the Danube River to the west and the Caucasus Mountains to the south. Due to their migratory nature and geographic position, the art of the Scyths was quite cosmopolitan, incorporating elements of Near Eastern, Classical and Southeast Asian design and imagery. Motifs derived from nature, such as vegetation and animals, were favored.

This bronze deer appears to be in good condition, intact except for the ends of its knobby horns and possibly the tips of its ears, which were lost in antiquity. The modeling combines careful observation of the deer’s anatomy, including the well articulated muzzle, jawbone and throat patch, with a symmetrical, heraldic posture. A pierced tenon at the bottom of the hooves indicates that this figure would have been inserted into a staff or base, probably in wood, and secured with a pin. It also may have served as a decorative element for the lid of a box, or on a piece of furniture.