An unusual depiction of a standing quadruped
curve under the haunches to project vertically
dragon appears on a richly gilded copper alloy
above the back, ending in a split-palmette 93 The
fitting, probably for the strap of a parade belt,
stylistic and iconographic stimuli for these relief
now in a private collection (fig 27) The head,
sculptures are to be sought in post-Sasanian,
turned backwards, has gaping jaws with fleshy
Islamic and Transcaucasian art which may well
folds, the upper lip terminating in a tight curl
have been well-known through textiles and other
revealing rows of teeth, conspicuous projecting
portable items 94 As a reflection of these eastern
fangs and a long flickering tongue Small, circu-
stimuli the late twelfth-century date of creation
lar eyes punctuate the head, which is crowned
of the Vladimir relief sculptures thus provides an
by small, cusped ears and extends into the long
approximate terminus ante quem for dating the
sinuous neck surmounted by a crest defined by
fitting with its forceful relief featuring a stand-
deep hatching A split palmette projects from
ing quadruped dragon which, in contrast to the
the haunches at the front and another extends
more tame appearance of the beasts in the Vladi-
from the tip of the long sinuous tail which curves
mir reliefs, is characterised by an immediacy and
under the flank to ascend vertically above the
innate animal nature, imbued with the vigour,
physical power and lively spirit of wild beasts
back The legs with delineated four-clawed feet
The dragon motif also extends to horseman-
are firmly planted on two platforms that proj-
ship Niẓām al-Mulk, the celebrated vizier of the
ect to form the base of the fitting, adding to the
Saljuqid sulṭān Alp Arslan and former Ghaznawid
imposing plastic effect of the creature In spite
functionary, used the figurative expression
of the uncommon appearance, its powerful and
“Exalted Stirrup” (riqāb-i ʿālī) in his Siyāsat Nāma
expressive monumentality must be the result of
when referring to the sulṭān 95 The metonym was
a long-established tradition Remarkably, distant
used at Turkish as well as Iranian courts to denote
cousins of the enigmatic beast, albeit no drag-
“the sovereign himself or his presence, the foot
ons, appear to survive on the low-relief carvings
of the throne ”96 It is thus fitting that a pair of
that cover a large part of the exterior of a cathe-
standing quadruped dragons are depicted on
dral of Saint Dmitry (1193–1197) in Vladimir in
the shoulders of a cast copper alloy horse stir-
the northeastern principality Vladimir-Suzdal
rup which is probably from the Ghaznawid world,
of Rus’ situated around the river Volga Named
datable to the eleventh or twelfth century, now in
after the warrior saint Demetrius of Salonika, the
the Nasser D Khalili Collection of Islamic Art,
cathedral was commissioned by prince Vsevolod
London (fig 28)
III (1176–1212) for his own use Contacts with
the east on the part of this principality, by way of
the Volga, were much closer than with western
c The dragon motif on objects of personal
Europe and it is generally thought that most of
adornment
the characteristic local artistic features are due
to Caucasian influences 92 Vladimir-Suzdal had
In the Western Central Asian world the dragon
close contacts with Armenia and Georgia, exem-
also features prominently on objects pertain-
plified by the fact that prince yuri Bogolyubsky,
ing to personal adornment Quadruped dragons
Vsevolod’s nephew, was chosen as husband for
appear on an eleventh- or twelfth-century soft
the famed Georgian queen Tʿamar (1184–1211/2)
stone mould of rectangular outline used for
in 1184 On all three middle pediments of the
tooling leather, reportedly from Herat in northern
cathedral the biblical king David is portrayed as
Afghanistan and housed in the al-Sabāh Collec-
surrounded by the animals, several of which are
tion in Kuwait (figs 29a and b) Next to the pat-
rendered with stylistic aspects reminiscent of
terning for two faces of a pouch featuring astro-
the dragon on the fitting, such as the elongated
logical and hunting scenes (as well as two small
necks, the long legs ending in forceful delineated
flaps), the mould is intaglio-carved with a pair of
feet and, in particular, the elongated tails that
large, confronted quadruped dragons portrayed
92 Buxton, 1934, pp 24–5
between 915 and 921 See Buxton, 1934, pp 25–6
93
95
Allenow et al , 1992, figs 205 and 228
Siyāsat Nāma, p 133, pp 98–9; cf Silverstein, 2007,
94 Eidem, p 35 The style has also been compared with
p 131
96
Transcaucasian relief sculptures on the seventh-century
Deny, “Riqāb,” EI² VIII, p 528b The use of the term
church of Ptghni (Ptghnavank ʿ) in Ararat province and the
is also attested in Ibn Bībī, al-Awāmir al-ʿalāʾiyya, tr Duda,
church of the Holy Cross of Aghtʿamar on Lake Van built
1959, pp 95–6
the dragon motif on portable objects
45
with elongated slender bodies standing on tall,
pomegranates, against which the entire compo-
splayed legs, with one leg raised in a formal stance
sition is set and which itself again terminates in
Their snarling heads with long wide-open snouts
gaping dragon heads A small feline couchant,
reveal protruding sinuous tongues, while the top
probably a lion, is framed between the legs of
of the head has pricked ears and prominent ele-
the dragons, which are surmounted in their turn
gantly curved horns The creatures are character-
by addorsed upright quadrupeds alternating with
ised by very long, narrow wings that surmount
a pair of confronted human figures seated, legs
the back, and thin, elongated S-shaped tails
folded back, on a horizontal platform Three
The dragon also makes an appearance on
stacked round objects that closely resemble the
a range of jewellery A roughly trapezoidal
produce of the flowering branches (which are per-
twelfth-century grey steatite jewellery mould
haps pomegranates, the fruit associated with the
from Maimana province (Faryab) in Afghani-
concept of fertility) appear between these figures
stan, now in the al-Sabāh Collection in Kuwait,
(figs 31a and b)
is deeply carved for a simple loop ear wire, ter-
To this may be added a very important and
minating at one end with a dragon head and a
more complex composition of paired entwined
vent 97 An eleventh- or twelfth-century copper
dragons in mirror image, joined at the centre by
alloy ring from northern Afghanistan, preserved
a quadripartite knot This composition, consid-
in the same collection, has tapering shanks that
ered below in chapter 10, is featured on a matrix
terminate on either side at the apex in double-
for belt ornaments which can be connected to
collared, bulging-eyed dragon heads, their lower
the Ghurid sulṭān Ghiyāth al-Dīn Muḥammad
jaws joining at the tips 98
ibn Sām (r 569/1173–599/1202–3), the builder
Intertwined dragon protomes, joined by a
of the minaret of Jām, or his younger brother,
single loop, appear as appliqués on the shoul-
Muʿizz al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Sām (r 569/1173–
ders of a twelfth-century niello-inlaid gold finger
602/1206), with whom he ruled in partnership
ring, also in the al-Sabāh Collection in Kuwait
and also shared the ism (name) Muḥammad and
The creatures are defined by confronted wide-
the nasab (a person’s relation to his forefather)
open snouts with upward-curling tips that hold
ibn Sām (fig 169) 100
up a rectangular bevelled-edged agate seal stone
In this context it is interesting to note that the
which is inscribed in reverse Kufic script: “my
motif of the interlaced dragons was minted as an
sufficiency is in God and [it] suffices” (fig 30)
added emblem on the coinage of Fakhr al-Dīn
These pious words were probably a supplication
Qara Arslan ibn Dāwūd (539/1144–562/1167),
for help to overcome difficulties 99 The efficacy of
the Artuqid ruler of Ḥiṣn Kayfā and Khartpert,
the prayer was buttressed by the entwined dragons
which otherwise follows late Byzantine conven-
which in turn would have helped to enhance the
ring’s protective properties
tions (figs 32a and b) The dragon protomes are
The motif of the entwined dragons is further
represented addorsed but with necks twisted
shown on an unglazed earthenware press mould
backwards so that the open-mouthed heads are
of tapering rectangular form from Balkh in north-
confronted Their raised wings touch at the centre
ern Afghanistan also in the al-Sabāh Collection
in a circular tip while the forelegs extend down
in Kuwait The twelfth-century mould has a re -
and forward to the medallion edge The lower
markable pictorial programme It shows a pair
ophidian body entwines once and forms a quadri-
of addorsed regardant quadruped dragons in
partite loop which then extends to frame the lobed
rampant posture with geometrically patterned
medal ion The addition of the dragon motif coun-
elongated bodies Importantly, the winged crea-
termark, superimposed on the lower left quadrant
tures entwine at mid-section Their heads are
of a reproduction of a late Byzantine coin type
crowned by long, curved horns and the open
featuring an enthroned nimbate Christ holding
jaws revealing long tongues touch the scrolling
a book,101 may be seen not only as an example
foliage bearing round buds or fruit, possibly
of Türkmen efforts to create a multi-cultural
97
100
Length 8 53 cm, width 2 94 cm Kuwait, al-Sabāh
From a set of 77 copper alloy matrices for belt/
Collection, Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, Kuwait National
strap fittings, Kuwait, al-Sabāh Collection, Dar al-Athar
Museum, inv no LNS 2619 J
al-Islamiyyah, Kuwait National Museum, LNS 2558 J
98 Height 2 59 cm, width 2 4 cm Kuwait, al-Sabāh
a-x2
101
Collection, Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, Kuwait National
This type of motif is seen on coins of Manuel I
Museum, inv no LNS 1596
Komnenos (1143–1180) See Lane Poole, p 123, no 329
99 The formula is a well-known supplication in modern
times
46