The main purpose of the preparation and publication of the series was a collection of materials on ancient and medieval history and culture of Kazakhstan, scientific analysis and publication as comprehensive sources for input into scientific circulation. The priceless masterpieces of the past hold an important place in the exposition of the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The history of our ancestors are the items made of precious metals — gold and silver.
The presented catalogue of gold and silver items introduces ancient artifacts, dated from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages.
The heritage of the past is clearly seen in Kazakh traditional jewelry art. If the previous time could be called gold according to people’s preferences in metal from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages, this period sparkles with silver color. A variety of decorations, household items, parts of weapons and horse equipment were produced of that metal. These shiny samples of jewelry art were around of human in the past almost everywhere, creating a kind of invisible sphere around him, designed to protect against miseries.
The features of the material world of children, men and women in traditional Kazakh society are considered in the catalogue devoted to the jewelry art. The woman’s world is full of the greatest number of details, which is understandable, as she was the keeper of the family, family and hearth. A woman’s costume was a presentation of family and tribe status. The purpose of jewelry in a child’s costume is protection. In turn, the item world of Kazakh man is harsh and uncluttered.
Director of the National Museum Darkhan Mynbay thanked Halyk Kazynasy SRI, which participated in the preparation of catalogues and in his speech, he emphasized the historic roles of these works: ‘The jeweler’s art occupies a special place in the history of Kazakh people. The word ‘zer’ in Persian means ‘gold’. Masters of traditional jewelry art left a rich variety of jewelry in the history, the status, age and gender of the owner could be defined in the tradition of the nomadic nation.
Each of these items is a symbol of eternal desire of human to the beauty; it is a part of art that does not require translation.
The finds from Issyk, Berel, Nagornensky, Besoba, Aktasty and other settlements are kept in the museum’s collections. Science has been recently updated with new data and now museum visitors have opportunity to see unique finds from kurgans of early Saka period of East Saryarka, burial of Sarmatian priestess, a hoard of gold jewelry found on the ancient settlement Sairam.
The presentation was attended by the Executive Director of the Library of the First President of Kazakhstan — Leader of the Nation Beisenbay Zhumabekov, analyst Kenzhebolat Zholdybay and other intellectuals.
