English: The Ceremonial Gilt Bronze Finial, Ferghana Horse, Dates Back to the 4th-1st Century Before Common Era: A V-Shaped Symbol of Speed and Victory. This artifact originates from the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, where interactions between the Scythians and Greeks led to a fusion of artistic influences.

The finial shares similarities with the renowned Scythian gold artifacts found far to the west, near the Bosphorus and the Chersonese. However, it is characterized by a high degree of cultural syncretism. The Hellenistic cultural and artistic influences evident in the horse sculpture can be attributed to the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom's existence, showcasing the rich tapestry of cultural influences in the Bactria area during that period.

The horse sculpture is a masterful fusion of Scythian and Hellenistic artistic styles, capturing the essence of vitality and power. Its elegantly elongated body, pronounced arching neck, and slim, deep chest convey a sense of dynamic energy. The subtly defined musculature suggests strength and grace, while the long, gracefully positioned legs, depicting the suspension phase of a gallop, enhance the sculpture's overall sense of movement. This phase, where the horse reaches its maximum speed, symbolizes both speed and power. This artistic choice underscores the horse's esteemed status as a symbol of strength and freedom in both cultures.

The sculpture's fluidity is further enhanced by the downward extension of the tail, following the curve of the body, and the flowing, parallel lines of the mane, which convey movement and elegance. In ancient times, such a stylized mane symbolized nobility and vitality, underscoring the horse's dynamic nature and highlighting its role as a revered emblem of grace and power. The refined head, swan-like neck, and the elegant convergence of the legs all serve to emphasize the horse's grace and power, qualities highly valued in the ancient world, and reinforce the importance of the horse as a timeless symbol of freedom and strength.

The sculpture also incorporates the anatomical style in its presentation of the ribs, a hallmark of Hellenistic artistic expression that ranged from anatomical to naturalistic and realistic styles. This attention to anatomical detail is complemented by an ancient Scythian pattern featured on the base of the finial, further emphasizing the cultural and artistic synthesis that defines this remarkable piece. Through these elements, the horse sculpture not only embodies artistic elegance but also serves as a powerful representation of both Scythian and Hellenistic ideals.

Incorporating the symbolic power of the V-shape from ancient Greek culture, the sculpture's form embodies speed, movement, and triumph. This geometric motif, reflected in the arrangement of the horse's legs and body, resonates with the Greek celebration of physical prowess and victory, as seen in artistic depictions of the goddess Nike and athletic figures. The V-shape not only enhances the sculpture’s depiction of velocity but also connects it to broader cultural narratives of success and achievement in both military and athletic domains.

The gilt bronze finial with horse is a clear example of the animal style of art. The animal style typical of Scythian culture is associated with a rich variety of plastics as well as the symmetry of composite solutions. Artefacts such as the finial were mounted on shafts and buildings for ritual purposes. Scythian rulers used such finials in ceremonies dedicated to the cult of Heavenly Horses , often during travels, festivals, wars, and horse racing events.

Archeologists and researchers have long been attracted to Scythian artworks due to their conventional stylization of details and appropriate elements. At the same time, such artworks demonstrate a high degree of accuracy and reflect the highly artistic approach of the Scythian animal style.

The Scythian culture gave rise to artifacts that are now recognized as masterpieces of ancient art. The various representations of horses in these artworks indicate how important they were to Scythian culture. Artworks such as the gilt bronze finial depict stronger and bigger horses, which reveals the presence of cross-breeding. After cross-breeding, the new horses were highly valued due to their graceful and elegant appearance. The breeders also valued animals that exhibited endurance and speed. These new horses have been described as being much faster and stronger than the typical Chinese and Mongolian horse breeds. Indeed, the “heavenly” horses were fast and light.

Jonathan Tao, a research historian from the University of Chicago, author of Heavenly Horses of Bactria: The Creation of the Silk Road, has stated that the gilt bronze finial should be identified with an ancestor of the modern Akhal-Teke horse breed, a descendant of the “heavenly horses” acquired from Central Asia during the War of the Heavenly Horses.

The War of the Heavenly Horses (or the Han-Dayuan War) was a military conflict fought from 104 BCE to 102 BCE between the Chinese Han dynasty and the Scythian-ruled Dayuan which was part of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. The war was fought in the Ferghana Valley at the easternmost end of the former Persian Empire (between modern-day Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan). In ancient times, the Ferghana Valley was an important trading center, widely recognized for the sales of its exceptional breeds of horses. Known for their strength, speed, and endurance, these horses were highly valued in a military context. Although the Sakas raised these horses outside the Ferghana Valley, they were often sold or traded through Ferghana, which became synonymous with this superior breed. Horses from Ferghana were sold to the Middle East, India, China, and other regions, influencing the gene pool of local horses almost everywhere, including the Arabian horse.

The term "Saka" is used specifically for the ancient nomads of the eastern steppe, while "Scythian" refers to the related group of nomads living in the western steppe. Both groups were part of the wider Scythian cultures, deriving from earlier Andronovo, Sintashta, and Srubnaya cultures, with secondary influences from the BMAC and East Asian genetic influx since the Iron Age. The Sakas, also known as the Indo-Scythians, migrated to regions such as northwestern India, where they established significant influence. More specifically, Dayuan (or Tayuan; Chinese: 大宛; pinyin: Dàyuān; literally: “Great Ionians”) was a city-state in the Ferghana Valley in Central Asia, which is described in Chinese historical texts such as the Records of the Grand Historian and the Book of Han. It is also mentioned in accounts written by the famous Chinese explorer Zhang Qian and the numerous ambassadors who followed him into Central Asia in 130 BCE.

The Dayuan people were the descendants of Greek colonists who followed Alexander the Great and settled in Ferghana in 329 BCE. They prospered within the Hellenistic realm of the Seleucids and Greco-Bactrians until they were isolated by the migration of the Scythian people in around 140 BCE. It appears that the name “Yuan” was simply a transliteration of the Sanskrit terms “Yavana” or “Pali Yona,” which were used throughout antiquity in Asia to designate Greeks (or Ionians). This indicates that “Dayuan” was used to refer to “Great Ionians” or “Great Greeks.” By 100 BCE, the Dayuan people had been defeated by the Han dynasty in the Han-Dayuan War. This interaction between the Dayuan people and the Chinese is historically crucial, as it represents one of the first major instances of contact between an urbanized Western civilization and the Chinese civilization. As such, it helped to pave the way for the development of the Silk Road, which linked the East and the West in terms of both material and cultural exchange from the 1st century BCE through to the 15th century. Thus, the role of horses in the development of Chinese civilization is hugely significant. Due to understanding the strategic importance of horse breeding, the Han empire was able to continue the development of its civilization. Through the use of elite breeds of horses, the art of warfare was modernized, which made it possible to adequately respond to raids by neighboring nomadic civilizations.

The Han period's art beautifully captures the significance of the horse's role in ancient times. Within Chinese culture, there are depictions of the Ferghana horse, but the true essence of this magnificent creature is best portrayed in the Scythian artistic tradition. This showcases the deep respect and admiration the ancient world had for horses. One extraordinary artifact that exemplifies this reverence is the gilt bronze finial of the horse. This piece belongs to a time when the Han empire sought to expand its influence in Ancient Central Asia, a region where nomadic civilizations posed a challenge. To overcome this obstacle, the Han dynasty recognized the value of acquiring the best horses, which would enable them to compete with the nomadic cavalry. These horses became a crucial military and strategic resource, vital for maintaining dominance in the region. Ferghana "heavenly" horses belong to one of the world's earliest known cultural breeds of racehorses, a fast and light Eastern type, perfectly suited for cavalry. They are the ancestors of all the best Asian horse breeds: Arabian, Turkmen (Akhal-Teke), Kazakh and Kyrgyz.

Even allowing for the inevitable cross-breeding experiments over centuries and the blending of bloodlines since the time of Herodotus, the Akhal-Teke horse breed has retained the main features described by historians since ancient times, of which the gilt bronze finial is proof. "The Akhal-Teke is the first pureblood horse in history; it is the direct ancestor of the English thoroughbred," said Jonathan Maslow, author of Sacred Horses. The artifact can serve as proof of this belief.

Source: https://artdaily.com/news/147043/The-Akhal-Teke-was-history-s-first-pureblood-horse-breed#.Yqdty4iFPIX

https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2024/04/how-chinas-han-dynasty-got-the-heavenly-horses-to-create-its-mighty-cavalry/

Speed, Power, and Victory: The Secrets of the Ferghana Horse.

Virtual Museum at the International Institute for Asian Studies, Leiden.