Works of Art
Scythian Bamboo Bow and Quiver
Period: 3rd-1st Century B.C.
Culture: Scythian, Sarmatian, Avar
Category: Array
Dimensions: Lenght: 49 cm and 9.5 cm
Price: POR
Provenance:
Ex-American private collection
Condition: Incredible state of conservation. The wood and leathers with their polychrome have been greatly preserved.
Description
This group is exceptional, both for its remaining together and for its incredible state of preservation. The bow was made from bamboo: to aid its efficacy as a weapon, the profile was carved into three curves (the middle one serving as the handgrip),andthe ends, reinforced by a leather covering, are curled into volutes for attaching the bowstring. The wood is covered by a kind of clear enamel with geometric decorations (lines, rectangular and triangular shapes) applied near the ends. The quiver has a triangular section that narrows towards the bottom. It is made of three wooden boards covered by a thin layer of white leather. Some large green, red, and brown leather bands (the green and the red are still very vivid) decorate the quiver, and these bands are further ornamented with wild animals, among which we can identify horses and deers.
The word "Scythian" refers to a large group of nomadic and related small tribes, speaking Iranian language. They lived in a very wide region from Danube plains to Central Asian steppes and Siberia. Military life was one of the most important mainstays of the Scythians, who were warriors above all, to the point that even women could fight in battles.
Bibliography
LEBEDYNSKY I., Les Scythes, La civilisation des steppes, Paris, 2001, p. 154ss;
PIOTROVSKY B. (éd.), Scythian Art, Oxford-Leningrad,1987, n. 171-73, 184-187.