Essay name: Scythian Elements in early Indian Art
Author:
Swati Ray
Affiliation: University of Calcutta / Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture
This essay studies Scythian Elements in early Indian Art—a topic that has not garnered extensive scholarly attention. Although much research has focused on various aspects of Saka/Scythian culture, such as politics and numismatics, their contribution to Indian art remains underexplored. This essay delves into archaeological evidence, historical texts, and art forms from Eurasian steppes to decipher the Scythian impact.
Chapter 4 - Scythian / Saka Art
102 (of 115)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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146
The stylized zoomorphic style, which laid the foundation for the
Scythian art, gradually became dominant in the fifth and fourth century
B.C. New subject-matter began to infiltrate the Scythian art during this
period. From the Sarmatians, the Scythians borrowed the image of the wolf,
and from the nomads of southern Siberia the image of the elk. Zhurovka, in
the Dnepropetrovsk region, testifies to this development. A plaque from
Zhurovka exhibits two non-antlered elk's heads (Plate 120) with ears and
snouts touching each other. The wooden plaque (Plate 93) from Tuekta, in
the Altai,2 is comparable to the Zhurovka ornament but it is one hundred
years older.
In the fourth century B.C. the dominant art form was exquisitely
designed decorative objects in which ornamentation was more important
than representation. The animal figures lost their former three-
dimensionality and became flat and oversimplified. Relief was replaced by
engraving. Some bridle decorations (Plate 121) were in the form of flowers
made from birds' heads.³ In many cases the image of the animal vanished
'Ibid., Pl.155.
2 ² Ibid., Pl. 183.
3 Ibid., Pl. 152.
