Статтю присвячено пошукам можливих ідей,
залучених майстром-торевтом на початковому
етапі формування задуму пекторалі. Одним із
таких джерел творчого натхнення художника по
металу міг бути уривок «Іліади» з описом виготовлення щита Ахілла.
Pectorals in form of breast decoration of a moonlike
shape were not peculiar for the Scythian culture.
Many ideas on manufacturing the pectoral, which was
found by B. Mozolevsky in 1971 during the Tovsta
Mohyla excavations, were borrowed by the craftsman
from the other culture environment. By the opinion of
many researchers, the influence of different traditions
of the ancient Greek art is easy-to-see in the pectoral’s
composition. Besides, it is inheriting in frieze forming
similarelly to sculptural compositions fronton of the
Parthenon, borrowing motives of floral ornaments, coin
plots etc.
But the creative work of the author of pectoral could
have been influenced not only by decorative art but
the literary monument too. To the latter the Homer’s
«Iliad» can be named, especially its 18th playsong,
which describes Hephaestus manufacturing the Shield
of Achilles. It is interesting that the Pectoral from
Tovsta Mohyla was compared with the Shield of Achilles
by many researchers (I. V. Yatsenko, L. A. Lelekov
and D. S. Rayevsky, V. Y. Mukhaylin). As at its core
both Shield of Achilles and the pectoral are pieces of
art of high artistic merit, which represent world cosmologic
pictures with the help of the opposite action
areas made with high relief figures. The breast collars,
which are widely known by the findings of Thrace and
Macedonia, could lead to generation of ideas that influenced
the pectoral’s invention. Such breast collars
actually were small hanging shields, which protected
in battle the warrior’s weakest spot. By their form and
functions they are close to peltes — light skin shields
of a moon-like shape. Such peltes were not only well
known by toreuts who worked on the Scythians’ orders,
but also were recreated by them in battle-pieces on the
comb from Soloha and on the calathus from Vylyka
Blysnytsya.
So it can be considered that the pectoral’s conception
was based on the different but connected ideas,
borrowed by the craftsman from the military sphere.
As a result of the composed transformation of the association
chain the Shield of Achilles — Peltes shield —
breast collars (or vise versa) and synthesis of several
ideas, there was formed a general vision of the pectoral
with the corresponding shape, composition structure
and separate ornamental patterns.
