Симферопольский клад - Валентина Альфредовна Мальм

with the exception of coins, are men's and women's ornaments. They include parts of an extremely exquisite women's headdress consisting of 19 shaped gold spangles and a top one covered with gems, pearls and six-petal rosettes attached to curved stalks. The centre of the top spangle was adorned with two beads placed one above the other and passing through them was a core with a broken top end. Very likely the core was ended by a tube for inserting feathers. For instance, Ibn-Battuta reports that on the top of their hats women of the Tatar nobility wore golden circles covered with precious stones and adorned with peacock feathers. The hat of the Simferopol treasure also had a top spangle, the rest of the surface being covered with shaped spangles glistening with pearls and gems, among them - amethysts, turquoise, spinel, emeralds, sapphires, chrysoprase and jasper pebbles. It may be that chains of medallions with inserts of gems or pearls were suspended to this lavish head-dress. The reverse side of each medallion is decorated with a flower image, in some instance of lotus, against a niello background.

Among decorations earrings could also be found. In the Turko-Mongol society earrings were worn both by women and men. It is known that Mongols already wore earrings in the times of Genghis Khan. Describing khan Berke (1256-1266) the Arab writer Al-Mufaddal also mentioned his earring. He wrote: "At the time King Berke was 56 years old. He had a thin beard, a big yellow face, he combed his hair behind his ears and in one ear had a golden ring with a precious (octahedral) gem."

In all, the treasure includes five earrings in the form of a question mark. This type was widespread throughout the vast territory taken up by the Golden Horde, is found in even earlier traces of nomad tribes culture and has numerous variants. The earrings of the Simferopol treasure have a composite core wound with wire and have one or two pearls at the end. One earring has a spinel and a large pearl of irregular form, the so called "orphan", meaning it was matchless. Such rare pearls were highly valued. These earrings date to the late 14th and early 15th centuries. The already mentioned chains of medallions could also serve as decorations worn on the chest. Thus, even in the recent past Kazan Tatars adorned themselves with chains of coins and medallions hanging down from loops on the collar and were known by the name of "Dzhiaka". Scalloped and shaped spangles with holes for a cord or a chain in their looped sides could serve as similar decorations worn on the chest. There were 15 such items in the treasure. All the spangles are of an extremely fine filigree work with the exception of one, stamped, bearing the inscription in Arabic, "Glory and happiness". The form of the spangles and some elements of their ornament resembling of elements encountered in Central Asian architecture and applied art. A treasure found in the former Bukhara khanate (the actual place cannot be defined with more accuracy) contained ornaments similar to the spangles of the Simferopol treasure. Summing up the above, we can assume that the spangles in the Simferopol treasure were also made by skilled Central Asian jewellers.

Beads and buttons are a separate group of decorations. Most of them are golden. Their use was broader than their initial designation would indicate. Thus, they were often sewn to the garments or curtains in the houses of rich feudals. Some spangles in the treasure with punctured apertures also served this purpose.

In addition to gold and silver beads the treasure contained 47 separate cornelian beads of various form and size, one of sapphire and one crystal. It is possible that these beads were used as rosaries.

The treasure also included several bracelets. Of interest is a two-piece bracelet which, unfortunately is not intact. It has an ornament in relief and the following inscription in Persian: "May the Creator of the world patronise the owner of this (object) wherever he may be." It is interesting to note that two similar bracelets with an identical inscription were discovered earlier in the Bulgarian settlement of Dzhuketau, Zhukotin in Russian, situated near Chistopol on the left bank of the Kama river. They differ only in some elements and a finer and more skillfully executed ornament. It appears that the centre where such bracelets were produced was in Iran or in Central Asia.

Round paired bracelets with schematic carved heads of dragons at their tips are probably Central Asian in origin. Parts of the heads are covered with a scale ornament. Two other bracelets in the treasure are compiled of medallions: one of scalloped medallions decorated with granulation and niello and the other of medallions with inserts of turquoise and spinel, their setting also being granulated.

A group of articles comprises golden cases intended for keeping various charms, mostly texts of prayers that played an important role in the life of moslems. The cases were suspended on the chest or neck, sometimes placed in a special pocket or sewn into garments. The treasure contained ten various cases, including cylindrical, shaped and rectangular ones. Four similar cylindrical cases are remarkable for fine workmanship. Their medium part is formed by open-work while the sides are adorned by filigree curlicues on a lining of sheet gold. For decoration of other cylindrical cases stamping technique was applied. One of them has a scale ornament while two others (only parts of them remain) are adorned with curlicues and an ornament imitating an inscription in Arabic resembling the word "glory". The case with a scale ornament was filled with pistachio resin and the remaining two with turquoise. In the Orient it was believed that this stone brings happiness.

There are two shaped cases. One of them has a stamped vivid floral ornament differing on the obverse and reverse sides. Its obverse is adorned with green jasper and cornelians in the form of small hearts. The second case is filigree open-work, the ornament