Animal Style

Animal Style is the general term for animal motifs used in the artistic works of Turkic communities that adopted a nomadic lifestyle and formed the steppe culture. Scythians, Huns, Göktürks and other steppe communities transmitted this style from Turkistan westward into Europe and eastward into China, employing animal figures crafted from metal, wood, bone, leather, textiles and stone.

Animal Style is based on the stylized or naturalistic representation of animals in artistic works. These figures were not merely decorative elements; they were also connected to the religious beliefs, mythological concepts and symbolic values of these societies.

Golden Deer Figure, Northwest Caucasus, 7th century BCE (Elvin Huseynov)

History and Origins

Emergence

The earliest traces of Animal Style appear in the Andronovo culture of Turkistan during the second millennium BCE. Concrete depictions of animals emerged during the first millennium BCE, in the Karasuk culture. These depictions were systematized in the Tagar and Mayemir cultures, acquiring a distinct stylistic character, particularly spreading around the Yenisey and Altai regions. The mature phase of Animal Style began in the 7th century BCE. The animal figures from these early cultures were later adopted into Scythian art.

Scythians developed Animal Style systematically from the 8th century BCE, transforming it into a classical form through figures crafted in goldwork. The style evolved into a systematic artistic approach through the Huns, Göktürks and Uyghurs.

Deer Figure Fresco from the Uyghur Koco Temple (Açelya Dursun)

Geographical Spread of Animal Style

Thanks to the mobility of steppe peoples, Animal Style spread across a vast geographical area. Archaeological findings indicate that its origins lie in the Turkistan, Altai and Siberia regions, and that it expanded westward through migrations.

From the 8th century BCE, the Scythians settled in the steppe regions north of the Black Sea and the North Caucasus, extending from the northern shores of the Caspian Sea along the Volga, Don, Dnieper, Bug and Dniester rivers. They carried Animal Style with them. Thanks to the rich metalwork of the Scythians, known as “the jewelers of the steppe,” this artistic tradition, originating in Asia, spread as far as Eastern Europe beyond the northern Black Sea.

The style advanced eastward as far as the region surrounding the Great Wall of China through the Scythians and Huns. In the north, the Siberian and Yenisey regions are among the richest centers of Animal Style finds in kurgan burials. In the south, the influence of Animal Style is visible in the art of Iran and Western Asia through the Tagar and Scythian cultures. In later periods, the style was transmitted to Western Eurasia by the Göktürks. During the Göktürk period, animal depictions became prominent on rock paintings, bone carvings and metal ornaments.

The region where Animal Style originated is the Turkistan–Altai–Siberia area, while its spread encompassed the northern Black Sea, North Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the Ural Mountains and South Caucasus.

Deer Statuette from the Bilge Khagan Külliyesi, 8th century CE (Açelya Dursun)

Kurgans

Animal Style motifs are found in artifacts recovered from kurgans. Metal ornaments, carpets, wooden carvings and clothing accessories from pre-Hun kurgans such as Pazırık, Şibe and Esik provide concrete examples of this artistic tradition.

Leather Belt with Rooster Motif from Pazırık II Kurgan, 5th century BCE (Figen Bali)

• In Scythian kurgans north of the Black Sea, deer, panther, eagle and horse figures predominate.
• Pazırık kurgans feature rooster, bird, griffin and deer motifs; the Pazırık carpet, the world’s oldest surviving carpet, contains animal figures.
• From the Esik kurgan, the “Golden-clad Man” and accompanying deer-headed plaques, panther-decorated ornaments and eagle-shaped belt buckles are representative examples of the style.

Plaque from the Hat of the Golden-clad Man, 5th–4th century BCE (Elvin Huseynov)

Discovery of Artifacts and Origin of the Term

The first artifacts emerged in the last quarter of the 17th century, when treasure hunters conducted clandestine excavations and looted kurgans in Siberia. Tsar Peter I became aware of these activities and in 1718 ordered all recovered artifacts to be sent to St. Petersburg. The first official expedition to Siberia took place in 1763, during which some kurgans were opened. In the following years, numerous archaeological excavations were carried out by archaeologists and anthropologists in the region.

The shared aesthetic qualities of the artifacts recovered from these excavations attracted attention. In 1929, Russian archaeologist Rostovtzeff first formally identified this common style as “Animal Style.” Today, the findings from these excavations are displayed in the “Siberian Collection” section of the Hermitage Museum.

Artistic Features

In Animal Style, the movement of animals is emphasized through high stylization. Animals are depicted both realistically and abstractly. One of the most prominent features of Animal Style is the depiction of animal combat scenes. In these scenes, predator and prey are rendered in intertwined, sinuous forms, creating a dynamic impression as if the figures are suspended in mid-air.

Techniques such as casting, inlay, carving and relief were employed, using materials including gold, bronze, bone, felt, wool, leather, horn, ivory and wood.

Wooden Eagle Plaque from the Saddle, Central Altai, 6th century BCE (Elvin Huseynov)

Cultural and Mythological Foundations

Nomadic steppe communities lived in close interaction with nature and animals. Horses, sheep, deer, wolves and eagles played central roles in their lives, both economically and spiritually. The sacredness attributed to animals and the strong bond with nature within the shamanistic belief system form the core foundation of Animal Style. Animal Style is directly linked to the rituals, totemic beliefs and shamanistic practices of steppe communities; it reflects their social order and cosmological understanding.

Animal Style serves as a cultural indicator of the belief systems, perceptions of nature and social identities of nomadic steppe societies. These characteristics enabled it to persist in Turkish art after the adoption of Islam, being reinterpreted in Seljuk and Ottoman stone, ceramic and miniature art.

Animal Combat Scene on a Belt Plaque, Siberia, 6th century BCE (Elvin Huseynov)

Artworks and Objects Featuring Animal Style

Animal motifs first appear in rock paintings. Early nomadic and semi-nomadic communities of the Eurasian steppes, due to their mobile lifestyle, focused on portable objects and extensively decorated them with animal figures. Animal Style was used to create sword hilts, spears, knives, horse harnesses, saddle covers, pendant belt buckles, drinking vessels, felt and woven textiles.

Golden deer plaques, panther-decorated scabbards and eagle-shaped belt buckles were made of metal; wooden and bone items included horse harness fittings, riding masks and animal figurines; carpets, saddle covers and felt birds and deer figures belong to textile and feltwork traditions. Additionally, tattooed examples of animal motifs have been found in Scythian kurgans.

Griffin-Motif Scabbard, Late 4th century BCE (Figen Bali)

Animal Motifs and Their Symbolic Meanings

Artworks featuring Animal Style vary by region. Kurgans from the northern Black Sea region contain motifs of male and female lions, leopards, deer, rams, goats, rabbits, birds and fish. Those from the Altai region feature tigers, deer, horses, mountain goats, roosters, fish, swans, cranes and storks. Kurgans from northern China show motifs of tigers, deer, wolves, eagles, turtles, yak deer, badgers and fish. Some kurgans also depict supernatural beings such as winged wolves, griffins, sphinxes, dragons and kilins.

Sea Dragon Motif from the Kul-Oba Kurgan in Eastern Crimea, 5th century BCE (Elvin Huseynov)

The depiction of animals in artworks was achieved through the portrayal of various scenes. Over time, the characteristic movements and emotional qualities of these animals became more pronounced. The animals used also served to indicate an individual’s clan affiliation or social rank.

Animal Style is an aesthetic form that reflects both the mythological world and the realities of steppe life in pre-Islamic Turkish art. The dynamism of the warrior steppe culture, the sacred bond with nature and the symbols of nomadic existence were transmitted into artistic works through this style. It is one of the earliest indicators of the proto-Turkic cultural identity.

Altar Featuring Leopard Motifs, Yedisu Region, 5th–3rd century BCE (Elvin Huseynov)