State Hermitage Museum :: East/Central Europe (including early nomads)

[Return to Index]

The material here covers a range of periods and cultures and invites further sorting but covers more or less the same material as the section of the museum described in the short guidebook in Russian listed below: that is the ancient cultures of European "Russia," whatever their ethnicity. Included is a large group of objects from the early nomadic cultures of the steppe (notably the Sarmatians and Khazars). I have added as well a group of objects produced in East-Central Europe in the Middle Ages and some objects which Smirnov feels may have been produced in Italian colonies in the Black Sea region in the late Middle Ages and which incorporate motifs of nomad or Near Eastern art. References:

Here are select portions of the maps in Smirnov showing some of the heaviest concentrations of the finds of Eastern metalwork in the former Russian Empire. The captions are in Russian; the numbers are those of the Smirnov portfolio.



Click on thumbnail for full view.


Sarmatians

Flask.
Found 1897, Maikop, Kuban prov., mid-3rd millenium BCE. Gold.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 1.
Flask.
Mid-3rd millenium BCE. Found 1897, Maikop, Kuban prov. Silver.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 10.
Flask.
Mid-3rd millennium BCE. Found 1897, Maikop, Kuban prov., Silver, H. 9.6 cm.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 11; Hermitage website.
Diagram showing use of spindle whorl and loom weights.
Kobiakovskoe and Gnilovskoe settlement sites on the Don River not far from Rostov.
Map showing location of Scythian territories and burial sites.
Cauldrons.
Sarmatian, 2nd c. BCE-2nd c. CE. Bronze.
Diagram of iron-smelting furnace such as might have been used by early metal-workers.
Diagram of "lost-wax" bronze casting technique.
Weapons.
Sarmatian (?), 1st c. BCE-1st c. CE. Found Kuban region.
Objects imported by Sarmatian tribes.
Earrings and brooches (copies).
Sarmatian (?). Originals: gold, semi-precious stones.
Display of some of jewelry of elite woman (part copies).
Sarmatian (?), lower Don R. region.
Bracelet with zoomorphic terminals (copy).
Sarmatian, 1st c. BCE-1st c. CE. Original: gold. Dia. 8.5 cm. Found 1954 Pogromnoe barrow no. 2, vill. of Verkhnee Pogromnoe, Volgograd obl., lower Volga region. Excavated 1954
Inv. no. 1953/1.
Pub.: Golden Deer, no. 131, pp. 182-183; Scythian 1969, no. 29; From the Lands, no. 162.
Belt plaque (copy).
Sarmatian. Verkhne-Pogromnoe barrow. Original: gold.
Pub.: Drevnie plemena, pp. 31, 33.
Bone (?) handle with zoomorphic carving.
Sarmatian, 6th c. BCE-2nd c. CE.
Diagram of gold adornment (the objects are copies) of Sarmatian woman buried in Khokhlach barrow, near Novocherkassk, lower Don R. region. 1st c. CE.
Torque (copy).
Sarmatian, 1st c. CE. Original: Gold, inlaid with turquoise, coral and glass. Dia. 17.8 cm., H. 6.3 cm. Found 1864 Khokhlach barrow near Novocherkassk, lower Don R. region.
Inv. no. 2213/1.
Pub.: From the Lands, no. 164; Scythian 1969, no. 31; Hermitage website.
Diadem (copy).
Sarmatian, 1st c. CE. Original: Gold with semi-precious stones, H. 15 vcm.; L. 61 cm. Found 1864 Khokhlach barrow, near Novocherkassk, lower Don R.
Inv. no. 2213/2.
Pub.: Golden Deer, fig. 13; Hermitage website.
Bracelet (copy).
Sarmatian, 1st c. CE. Original: gold. Found 1864 Khokhlach barrow near Novocherkassk, Lower Don R. region.
Ornaments (copies).
Sarmatian, 1st c. CE. Originals: gold. From Khoklach barrow (?) near Novocherkassk, lower Don R. region.

Inlaid locket (color photo is of copy).
Sarmatian 1st c. CE. Original: gold, semi-precious stones. Found 1864 Khokhlach barrow, near Novocherkassk, lower Don R. region.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 29.
Flask.
Sarmatian, 1st c. CE. Gold. Found 1864, Khokhlach barrow near Novocherkassk, lower Don R. region.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 30.
Flask.
Sarmatian (?), ca. 1st c. CE (?). Gold. Found 1837 Kerch (Panticapeum), Tauride Province.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 32.
Flask.
Sarmatian (?). Gold. Found 1902, Ust-Labinskaia, Kuban prov. Ex-coll. of Archaeological Commission, SPb.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 280.
Cup with zoomorphic handle (color photo is of a copy).
Sarmatian, 1st c. CE. Original: gold, turquoise, coral and glass. H. 7.5 cm. Found 1864 Khokhlach barrow near Novocherkassk, lower Don R. region.
Inv. no. 2213/13.
Pub.: Golden Deer, no. 132, pp. 184-185; Smirnov no. 26; Hermitage website.
Cup.
Sarmatian, 1st c. CE. Gold. Found 1864, Khokhlach barrow (?), near Novocherkassk, lower Don R. region.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 25.
Silver breast-plate (phalera) for horse harness.
Sarmatian (made in Bosphoran Kingdom).
Fedulov Hoard, Kuban peninsula (?).
Drevnie plemena, pp. 39, 40.
Display illustrating trade connections of upper Kama R. region, 5th-8th centuries CE.
Display showing trade connections of Sarkel on the Don River, a Khazar fortress built by Byzantine engineers in 833 CE.
Horse trappings including stirrups and bit.
Khazar period, 8-9th c. CE. Verkhne-Saltovskii and Dmitrovskii graveyards, Don R. region.
Belt plaques (copies?)
Khazar, 10th c. Silver, gilding.
Ladle, combining Byxantine and early Turkic motifs.
Khazar, 8th-9th c. Silver. Dia. 26.5 cm. Found 1866 Kotskii gorodok, lower Ob' R. reg.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 92; Darkevich, pl. 54/5-9, pp. 167-169.

Cup with peacock and trees.
Khazar, 8th-9th c. Silver. Found 1893 Tomyz, Glazovskii u., Perm prov. w. other silver dishes.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 116; Darkevich, pl. 54/1-2, p. 167.
Dish with lion attacking stag.
Dish with lion attacking stag. Made in Central/East Europe, 9th-10th c. Silver. Dia. 10.4 cm. Found in Russia.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 96; Darkevich pl. 55/5; p. 170 (disagrees with Marshak's indication of Volga Bulgaria provenance).
Flask.
Silver. H., 11.0 cm., max. dia. 8.4 cm. Found Maikor, Perm prov. Ex-Museum of Archival Commission, Perm.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 153.
Dish with mounted archer.
Central Europe, ca. 10th c. (?) Silver. Dia. 24 cm. Purchased prior to 1894, Berezovskii u., Tobol'sk prov.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 155.
Dish with mounted warrior.
Central Europe/Hungary, ca. 10th c. Silver, gilding. Found Muzhi, Berezovskii u., Tobol'sk prov.; to 1897 belonged to Ostiaks in Kunovat R. reg.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 156; Darkevich pl. 56/2, p. 173.
Dish with mounted falconer.
Central Europe/Hungary, ca. 10th c. Silver, gilding. Found 1891 Utemil'skii, Viatka prov.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 157; Darkevich pl. 56/4, p. 170.
Dish with human figure and wild goat with bird.
Great Moravia (?), 2nd half 9th-10th c. Silver. Dia. 39 cm. Found before 1853 Tomsk prov.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 159; Darkevich pl. 55/7, p. 170.
Dish with ape-like horseman and birds.
Central/Eastern Europe(?), ca. 10th c. (?) Silver. Dia. 27 cm. In category of Central/E. European imitations of Eastern designs. Found prior to 1873 in Russia. Ex-Stroganov coll., Rome.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 160.
Dish with ape-like horseman and birds.
Central/Eastern Europe(?), ca. 10th c. (?) Silver. Dia. 27 cm. In category of Central/E. European imitations of Eastern designs. Found prior to 1896 in Russia. Ex-Bobrinskii coll., SPb.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 161.
Dish with lion.
Central Europe/Hungary, ca. 10th c., Silver. Found 1901 vill. Kudeseevo, Cherdyn u., Perm prov.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 290; Darkevich pl. 56/3, p. 173.
Cup with stylized birds.
Great Moravia (?), ca. 9th c. Silver. Found 1894 vill. Klepikina, Perm prov. Ex-Zelikman coll., Perm prov. Current location?
Pub.: Smirnov no. 154; Darkevich, pl. 55/1, p. 170.
Dish with leopard.
Dish with leopard. Central Europe/Great Moravia, 9th-10th c. Silver. Dia. 17.4 cm>(?). Found 1901 vill. Kudeseevo, Cherdyn u., Perm prov.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 294; Darkevich pl. 55/6, p. 170.
Dish with human and animal figures.
Great Moravia (?), ca. 9th-10th c. Found 1850-1860 at fortified settlement on R. Sosva, Tobol'sk prov.; formerly in Museum of the Realgymnasium, Tiumen. Current location?
Pub.: Darkevich, pl. 55/4, p. 170.
Buttons.
Upper Volga "Diakovo" culture from village near Moscow. Deer horn.
Dish.
15th-17th c. (?). Silver. Dia. 12.6 cm. (?). In group with mixed oriental and western motifs; possibly work of Italian colonies in Black Sea area. Provenance unknown. Ex-Stroganov coll., SPb.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 275.
Dish.
15th-17th c. (?). Silver. Dia. 12.9 cm. (?). Mixed oriental and western motifs; possibly from Italian colonies in Black Sea area. Purchased 1902 in Moscow, provenance unknown.
Pub.: Smirnov no. 276.
Dish
15th-17th c. (?). Silver. Dia. 14.7 cm. (?). Mixed oriental and western motifs; possibly from Italian colonies in Black Sea region. Found Verkhne-Dneprovskii u., Ekaterinoslav prov. Ex-Khanenko coll., Kiev. Current location ?
Pub.: Smirnov no. 277.
Memorial stone, carved with human figure.
Polovtsy (Cuman) culture.
Sword and knife.
Sarmatian, lower Volga region, 3rd c. BCE-1st c. CE.
Pitcher. Sarmatian. 6th c. BCE-2nd c. CE.
Cauldron. Sarmatian.
Necklace. Sarmatian female burial, 2nd c. BCE.
Bowl. Imported glass, Sarmatian burial beg. 1st c. CE.
Pottery from Sarmatian barrow near Novocherkassk, 1st c. BCE-3rd c. CE.

Khazars

Pottery from Khazar Sarkel.