Bronze Jugs from Ahmad's Workshop of 11th Century from Southeast Kazakhstan

Abstract

The authors publish the materials related to three unknown before toreutic products produced in the 11th century. Production technology, shapes and ornamentation of pitchers, as well as their labeling, were improved on the stage of production of elite jars from bronze. These jars were found on the hillforts of Taraz and Kysmyshi during archaeological research as well as accidental finding of jar on the Talgar hillfort. Their ornithomorphic forms, brought to the perfection of stylization, artistic formation, characterize pitchers. In the bibliographic review of the study of such pitchers, which has been updated few times by J. Ilyasov, no attention is paid to Kazakhstani materials. Now that gap is filling. Three published jugs were marked with engraved inscription: «Amali Ahmad» («Ahmad's work») and the master's stylish-florid medallion. The sites of all known finds or buyouts by collectors of such jugs are well known and localized along the stretch of the Great Silk Road between Eastern Iran and Western China: all Central Asian countries, as well as Northern Afghanistan and Xinjiang. The analysis of the materials of the micro-material of two pitchers can tell about the place of production of pitchers, given in the appendix.

Keywords

• archaeology
• «amali ahmad» – «ahmad's work»
• toreutics
• bronze jug
• stamp
• medallion
• ornithomorphism
• 11th century
• valley of talas
• сhu
• ily