Karashamb Cup

This masterpiece of the Old Eastern decorative-applied art was found in Karashamb of Yeghvard region of Kotayk marz (province) of the Republic of Armenia, during the excavation of the “Royal” Mausoleum, which dates to the 22nd – 21st centuries B.C. In the countries of the Old East, during the festive ceremonies, a special place was paid to the items ornamented with artistic decorations from the royal and temple sets. The marvelously decorated cup found in Karashamb is one of the oldest and most impressive examples of these festive sets. The cup is made of thin silver foil, decorated with six ornamented belts and narrative hunting scenes sculptured on it; a kneeling hunter is shooting an arrow at a wild boar. The wounded boar is being attacked by a lion and a leopard which are being followed by rows of lions and leopards. A battle scene is portrayed on another ornamented belt, where men with lances are fighting with rapier carriers. A high-ranking captive is being escorted by a garrison. The next scene in the centre is a “feast.” The king is portrayed sitting on the throne and drinking. A servant with “hoof-like legs” is standing between the tables in front of the king and serving him. Next to the king musicians are seen. The other ornamental belts depict scenes of people being sentenced to death, life after death and other scenes. It was found out that an ancient Indo-European myth was portrayed on the cup: the young hero is hunting a wild boar, and because of that fratricidal The hunter s shoot ng w th an arrow the boar, attacked by a on and a leopard. The household items, kinds of armoury, clothing and musical in- Scenes of execut on instrumentation depicted on the cup create a background that help us know the lifestyle, habits, demeanour, garments, variety of arms and musical instruments of the ancient inhabitants of Armenia, who lived about 4000 years ago. All these items provide valuable information that helps us to illustrate the ancient history of the Armenian Plateau and the East.

Share Button

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back To Top