Nomads and Networks: The Ancient Art and Culture of Kazakhstan

According to Past Horizons, Nomads and Networks focuses on a form of Eurasian nomadism in which horse-riding warfare practised by an elite played a central role. This did not fully develop until the Iron Age, at which point it spread across the Eurasian steppe, yielding the magnificent material culture on display in the exhibition.

 Exhibition overview

 Nomads and Networks begins with a display of spectacular, superbly preserved finds from Berel, an elite burial site of the Pazyryk culture located near the border with Russia, Mongolia and China. Each burial at the site contained at least one horse, and sometimes many more, and the exhibition illuminates the central role of the animal in Pazyryk culture. With a focus on recently excavated artefacts, this portion of the exhibition includes numerous items devoted to the elaborate ornamentation of the horse, a deliberately transformative practice that surely had ritual purposes.

On view are expertly carved appliqués in wood-once overlaid in gold and tin-that belonged to a set of horse tack; two superb sets of wooden horns that, together with several wooden appliqués, are installed to demonstrate the complete decoration of a horse; a bridle ornamented with plaques that have been carved with real or mythical animals and floral elements; a saddle with superbly embroidered and appliquéd felt, and much more.

Pazyryk burial customs 

Other objects seen here illuminate Pazyryk burial customs. These include a wooden pillow that was used to support the head of the deceased, and carved boars-tusk elements that may have functioned as a necklace.

 Petroglyphs

The second section of the exhibition opens with a representative selection of petroglyphs. Indications of the nomads' deep connection to the natural world, such carvings once embellished the nomadic landscape, most likely demarcating sacred places. The examples on view depict a variety of themes, from animals the nomads would have encountered, to scenes of chariots drawn by horses, perhaps referring to mythical or cosmic beliefs. Other items, such as a plaque in the form of a fish and belt ornaments representing boars, demonstrate the integral role of land- and water animals to nomadic life and belief systems.

While their role in nomadic society is not fully understood, massive bronze cauldrons like the examples in the exhibition may have been used in ritual communal meals held in the winter encampments. However, the meaning of the exhibition's five elaborately decorated bronze stands is more enigmatic, as their decoration is highly varied in style and content. They were found at scattered spots across the landscape, perhaps suggesting that they, too, were placed at sacred locations.

 It was through exchange and interactions with their sedentary neighbours that the nomads of the Tianshan and Altai were able to acquire valuable luxury goods. These not only served as markers of prestige that distinguished powerful individuals within the community, but also influenced the artistic vocabularies used in objects produced by the nomads themselves.

Nomads and Networks includes several examples of this cultural and aesthetic interaction, with two particularly spectacular examples: the Zhalauli treasure and the Wusun diadem. The Zhalauli treasure comprises thirteen gold objects of personal adornment. While the function of some of the pieces is unknown, the eight teardrop-shaped ornaments in the exhibition clearly decorated a belt, and their overall composition and decoration fuse indigenous and foreign-perhaps Western-tastes.The Wusun diadem, a superb openwork piece with figural and landscape imagery, articulated through the inlay of precious stones, shows a similar mixing of form and content, but here the imagery is drawn directly from Chinese celestial iconography. The diadem also indicates that some of the adornment worn by the nomadic elite must have been striking in its radiance.

Organisation 

Nomads and Networks: The Ancient Art and Culture of Kazakhstan has been organised by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University in collaboration with the Central State Museum, in Almaty; the Presidential Centre of Culture, in Astana; the A. Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology, Almaty; the Museum of Archaeology, Almaty; and the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United States. The exhibition has been made possible through the support of the Leon Levy Foundation. 

The curatorial team for the exhibition includes Dr. Chi; Peter de Staebler, assistant curator; Karen Rubinson, research assistant; and Sören Stark, assistant professor of Central

Asian art and archaeology, all of ISAW.

 More information: 

Nomads and Networks: The Ancient Art and Culture of Kazakhstan will be accompanied by a 200-page catalogue of the same title. With essays by nine international scholars, this will provide an unparalleled introduction to the ancient nomadic culture of Kazakhstan, exploring its distinctive but little-known patterns of life. The hardcover book will include 220 colour illustrations. Co-published by ISAW and Princeton University Press, it will be available at ISAW and distributed by the Press for $49.95.

Details also at http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/