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Kazakhstan: the Cradleland of the “Golden Man”

from National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.45

by National Museum of Korea

from National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.45, page 28

Article from: National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.45

Chimi: Ridge-end Roof Tiles

CURRENT

By Kang Kunwoo, Associate Curator of the Asian Arts Division, National Museum of Korea

Exhibition Info. National Museum of Korea November 27, 2018 - February 24, 2019

The National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan jointly host a special exhibition featuring the golden artifacts made by the ancient people of Kazakhstan who made their lives on the Great Steppe and folk crafts reflecting their nomadic culture.

The special exhibition Kazakhstan: The Cradleland of the “Golden Man” sheds light on the civilization of Kazakhstan’s Great Steppe and the cultural heritage of the diverse peoples who repeated a pattern of settlement and movement around Eurasia. It is the National Museum of Korea’s first exhibition highlighting western Turkistan following The Crossroads of Civilizations: Ancient Culture of Uzbekistan held in 2009. Under the keyword “People and the Civilization of the Great Steppe,” it features some 460 items including the “Golden Man.” Fig.1 While looking around the three parts of the exhibition, visitors can look at, read about, and get a feel for the history and culture of Kazakhstan.

Part 1 is comprised of the special exhibition Heritage of the Great Steppe: Masterpieces of Jewelry Art organized by Ministry of Culture and Sport of the Republic of Kazakhstan. A special touring exhibition designed to introduce the golden civilization of ancient Kazakhstan, it started in Minsk in Belarus in 2017, and opened to great acclaim this year in Moscow in Russia, Baku in Azerbaijan, and Xi’an in China. The rare and precious items Fig.2 and 4 to be shown in Korea for the first time include the “Golden Man” and dishes engraved with letters from the Issyk kurgan, accessories with animal designs from Taldy-II, kurgan 2, element of the headdress Fig.3 and earrings from Taksai I, kurgan 6, and bracelets from the medieval city of Sayram on the Silk Road.

**Fig.2 Leopard and Mountain Gold Plates**

**Fig.4 Gold Ornament in the Shape of Twin Horses with Horns and Wings**

Part 2 tells the story of “The Wide Open Steppe.” The vast steppe of Kazakhstan is the crossroads of Eastern and Western culture and goods, and a place steeped in the history of the rise and fall of the diverse peoples who traversed the land. The movement of different ethnic groups gave rise to war and with each conquest the culture of victor spread.

In ancient times, the formation of society and a class structure led to the emergence of power. The powerful warrior class armed themselves with axes, bows, and arrows, and rode on well-trained horses in battle. For the afterlife they built burial mounds, called Kurgan, and buried inside them horses opulently decorated with animal designs. Expressed in the Scytho-Siberian style, the diverse animal designs include a beast of prey attacking a herbivore, griffin, and argali head Fig.5.

**Fig.5 Plaque of Argali Head Suspended from Ribbed Bar from Horse Tack**

During the ancient and medieval periods, various peoples lived in Kazakhstan territory and ritual vessels reflecting the religious beliefs held by the Saka people, the Wusun people, and other people of the time are found scattered across the country. Prime examples are the tripod cauldron “Kazan” used for boiling ritual meat, an altar with animal faces at the bottom Fig.6, and “Guryptyk shamdal,” a tray decorated with a hunting scene.

The rise of the Arabs in the medieval period brought radical change to Kazakhstan through the introduction of Islam. The influence of the Islam culture, which spread along the Silk Road in central Eurasia, is evidenced by the glazed “Ceramic Dish,” glass vessels, and a decorated mosque tile excavated from the site of the old oasis city Otrar in southern Kazakhstan.

Part 3 is titled “Mutual Growth and Coexistence: The Story of the People.” Kazakhstan declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and is now home to some 130 ethnic groups. Stepping into the gallery, visitors face a collection of Eurasian cultural treasures that reflect the joys and sorrows of the people who have lived on the land. Featured items include a Yurt, the portable tent that was a dependable home for people living in a harsh environment; the Kazakh traditional carpet called Syrmak; the Kazakh people’s favorite musical instrument, “Dombra”; the richly decorated women’s saddle “Ayel er” Fig.7; and silver chest ornament “Onirzhiek” Fig.8.

This special exhibition is an opportunity to explore how the people of Kazakhstan, at the crossroads of Eastern and Western civilization, forged their own history and culture. One of the necessary virtues of people today is the understanding of and respect for diverse cultures. The NMK invites you to discover the history and culture of Kazakhstan as a country located in the middle of Eurasia, a place steeped in the culture and civilization of the steppes, and the home of many varied peoples.

This article is from:

National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.45

by National Museum of Korea