SCYTHIAN GOLD by Ellen Reeder

Big beautiful hardback exhibition catalog with excellent quality photos of 172 recently excavated artifacts from the Ukraine. Includes "animal style" jewelry, swords, helmuts and other items. Much gold.

Introductory articles by the current experts in the field on the origins of Scythian art. Includes an article on the actual construction method of a gold gold gorytus and scabbard. Another article idetifies the actual species of animals used in Scyhian art. Includes a beautiful fullspread map of the area of Scythian occupation.

THE GOLDEN DEER OF EURASIA , SCYTHIAN AND SARAMATIAN TREASURES FROM THE RUSSIAN STEPPES

320 pages
280 color pictures with other illustratians and maps.

Georgeous large softback exhibition catalog put out by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Stunning photos of 212 artifacts -- most are the new finds from Filippovka near the Ural Mountains. The last couple chapters show photos of Eastern Scythian artifacts from Pazyryk that are usually only seen in line drawings or old black and white photos. Many deer decorated artifacts, most gold, A desirable book if you are a craft or jewelry designer interested in animal art.

SCYTHIAN ART, CRAFTS OF THE EARLY EURASIAN NOMADS by Georges Charriere (George Charriers)

267 pages

Large hardback with lots of color photos -- many supersized. Many line drawings as well. Charriere attempts to explain the meaning and purpose of the animal style motifs the Scythians used. He examines the religion, myth, funeral customs and apparent use of drugs of the Scythians. Designers will appreciate the size and detail of the photos.

THE "LOST" TEN TRIBES OF ISRAEL ... FOUND! by Steven M. Collins

439 pages

The typical reader will find Collins' belief that the Northern Europeans and Anglo Saxon countries are descendants of the Lost 10 Tribes of Israel a bit of a jolt but no matter your secular or religious beliefs this book it worth its weight in gold for its juicy tidbits of history that are usually ignored by conventional historians. Collins links the Saka and the Scythians with the Israelites and the Anglo Saxons and does a very astute job of it. He also writes a revealing chapter on the migrations of the Goths and their relationship to the Parthian empire (which by the way showed some tendancy to use animal style art also).

Those interested in pre- Columbian Old World contacts with America will find his book a further revelation as he relates Barry Fell's discoveries of a Celtic presence in New England to Israelite exploration and trade in conjunction with the Phoenicians.

This book is worth its price just for the bibliography.

THE MUMMIES OF URUMCHI

This wonderful book is about the Caucasian mummies and their varied textiles found in the sands of the Tarim Basin of Western China. Technically these mummies are still classified simply as Indo- European speakers or possibly as Tocharians . It appears possible that eventually the Tocharians may be classified with the eastern Scythians. This book will put a picture in your mind of a Scythian-like people clothed in bright wools and funny hats and if any comparison to medieval European costume is made you will wonder if they are ancestors to some Europeans. Elizabeth Wayland Barber, an ancient textile expert, centers her writing in this book on the ancient weaving and needlework of these people, writing in a style that is anything but dry.

240 pages, w color photos and line drawings.

THE TARIM MUMMIES
By J. P. Mallory and Victor Mair

For those fascinated by Elizabeth Wayland Barbers book on the Tarim mummies this book is the next step up. Full of pictures, line drawings, maps and text insets, this book manages to go in depth while still remaining accessable to the layman. Connections with the Scythians become obvious, the Tocharian and Indo European questions are dealt with in more detail. Some recent Chinese scholarship is discussed that makes you wonder just how far east did the Caucasian nomads go - the evidence takes them deep into China. For the Layman who found J.P. Mallory’s book “In search of the Indo Europans” a bit much this is the book to get.

WARRIOR WOMEN: AN ARCHAEOLOGIST’S SEARCH FOR HISTORY’S HIDDEN HEROINES
By Jeaninne Davis-Kimbell Ph. D.

Anyone interested in Scythians will be drawn to the subject of the Amazons. Kimbell’s research and archaeological discoveries prove that the Amazons were not a myth. Indeed, some of the Scythian warriors excavated may actually be Amazons - female Scythian or Sauromatian warriors. Kimbell also links her Scythian/Amazon discoveries with women in the Celtic sphere, drawing us back to the fact that the Celts descended from the Cimmerians who, it is commonly admitted are archaeologically indistinguishable from the Scythians. Discusses links with China’s famous mummies of the Tarim Basin and of course the age old Mother Goddess connection. Written for the layman in a comfortable narrative style with anecdotes of traveling and working in Russia and commentary on Mongolian culture. Many illustrations.

NOMADIC ART OF THE EASTERN EURASIAN STEPPES THE EUGENE V. THAW COLLECTION AND OTHER NEW YORK COLLECTIONS.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Emma C. Bunker

Exhibition catalog of the collection of nomadic artifacts given to the Metropolitan by Eugene Thaw. Most objects from Mongolia and North China. Some pieces from the Black Sea area. Again, loads of animal style bronzes - some are gilded or gold. Many not scene by the public prior to publication. Fascinating and well illustrated introductory chapters on the land and people and a later chapter on the legacy left by nomadic art in China and Eastern Central China. Some nomadic art links in Chinese textiles.
All color photos.

TRADERS AND RAIDERS ON CHINA’S NORTHERN FRONTIER
By Jenny F. So and Emma C. Bunker

203 pages

Large softback catalogue with some color and many black and white photos of eastern nomadic artifacts from northern China. Nice large maps of the Eurasian nomadic zone. Almost every piece is animal style cats, deer, attack scenes… mostly bronzes, some gilded. Introductory chapters are beautifully illustrated with color photos and line drawings. Chapter on Chinese belt hooks and a couple of interesting entries on zither tuning keys one of which may connect iconographically with the earlier arts of the Middle East.

ANCIENT BRONZES OF THE EASTERN EURASIAN STEPPES from the ARTHUR M. SACKLER COLLECTIONS
By Emma C. Bunker

401 pages - Most of the artifacts in this book are of Scythian “animal style” bronzes. Covers the Bronze Age , Iron Age and Xiongnu periods of the northern zone of China. This was an area of Caucasian barbarian occupation. Introductory chapters on the archaeology of the area and what the artifacts indicate about the different tribal cultures. As a reference for designs for crafts and jewelry this book is a treasure trove of animal motifs. Amazing and entertaining.

ART NOUVEAU JEWELRY
By Vivienne Becker

Anyone interested in Scythian and Celtic Art will find Art Nouveau a natural field to adopt. This is a deliciously illustrated large softback - one of the best books on art nouveau style in jewelry. It doesn’t take much thumbing through the wonderful photos to see that the nomadic animal style is there in the collective unconscious of our western culture, destined to resurface from time to time - as it obviously in art nouveau at the turn of the century. You’ll never tire of looking at this book.