Anthropomorphous vessel from Talgar

An exciting vessel was found under unexpected circumstances 3 km north of Talgar settlement (Alma-Ata region), where the Talgar detachment of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR has been working for several years. This is a wide-mouthed jug made on a potter's wheel from dough with an admixture of river sand and covered on the outside with pink engobe. The height of the jug is 65 cm, the height of the neck is 25 cm, the diameter of the body is 40 cm, the diameter of the neck is 10 cm. Clay ring is threaded into the nostrils; eyebrows in the form of a solid drawn line, and the mouth is marked with inserts of pieces of gray vitreous slag; no eyes. The rim with a spout depicts a three-toothed crown, which is inlaid with three pieces of vitreous slag, probably imitating precious stones. The cranked handle of the vessel consists of two twisted braids, which, starting from the back of the head, fall onto the back (body). Three large cones with relief images of crossed coniferous branches are stuck on the vessel's body. Two stripes on the body in triangular teeth imitate the ornament of clothing.

An anthropomorphic vessel, tentatively dated to the 9th-11th centuries, gives an idea of ​​the outward appearance of the medieval population of the Ili Valley.