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A Ewer from Nagyszentmiklós, 8th-10th century

Magyar?, Khazar?, Alan?, or Bulgar? horseman and captive


A larger image of the Horseman and Captive on the Ewer from Nagyszentmiklós.


Picture Source
Referenced on p19, Byzantine Armies 886-1118 by Ian Heath & Angus McBride:
At the time that Leo VI actually wrote his Tactica the Magyars were the Empire's other principal foe, though they could also be found as mercenaries in the Byzantine army. The armour worn here could almost be straight from an Imperial arsenal, with mail coif and corselet, iron helmet and splint-armour greaves and vambraces. His captive wears lamellar. (Kunsthistorischen Museum, Vienna).

Magyar?, Khazar?, Alan?, or Bulgar? rider with bow


A larger image of the Rider with Bow on the Ewer from Nagyszentmiklós.


Referenced on p21, ELI - 030 - Attila and the Nomad Hordes by David Nicolle (Author), Angus McBride (Illustrator)
The gold ewer from the Nagyszentmiklos Treasure remains a mystery. Is it Germanic Goth from the time of the Great Migrations, early Hungarian, 10th century Khazar, or made north of Iran in the 8th-9th century? The armoured horseman has a segmented helmet with a separate coif or aventail, a full mail hauberk with splinted arm and leg defences similar to those seen in early Scandinavia or Anglo-Saxon England. But limb armour was also common in early medieval Transoxania, Armenia and the Muslim world. Neither this mailed rider nor the horse-archer uses stirrups but the latter may wear quilted soft armour and has headgear like the stylized 'infidel' turbans shown in Byzantine Russian art. This, and the decoration, suggest the ewer was made under early Islamic, Byzantine and Turkish influences in the Caucasus region between the 7th and 10th centuries. (Kunsthistorisches Mus., VII.B33, Vienna)



Asiatic Heavy Cavalrymen from Armies of the Dark Ages 600-1066 by Ian Heath, based on the Nagyszentmiklós ewer
An extract from The military technology of classical Islam by D Nicolle, about the warriors on the Nagyszentmiklos Ewer
See also Dish with Magyar? mounted archer from Berezovskii u., Tobol'sk province, c.10th century
Dish with Magyar? mounted falconer from Utemil'skii, c.10th century
Other 9th Century Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers
Illustrations of Hungarian Costume & Soldiers