Yuzik
East Kazakhstan. Silver, repoussé, blackening, engraving. A. Kasteyev National Museum of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Ring (juzik) with a relief shield featuring a floral-spiral ornament. The ring belongs to the category of traditional everyday decorative jewellery, in which artistic expressiveness is achieved through the plasticity of the relief and the ornamental composition, without the use of inlays.The design comprises a single shank, widening at the top and transitioning into a shield of an elongated triangular-oval shape. The shield is raised above the base and framed by rhythmic incisions along the edge, forming a closed decorative outline.The composition is organised along a central axis, with a clear distinction between the upper and lower zones. The central field is filled with a relief ornament dominated by paired spiral elements, balanced by their symmetrical arrangement. The upper part is complemented by a stylised plant motif with branching shoots, which creates a vertical orientation in the composition.The ornamental scheme combines plant and zoomorphic-spiral motifs, tracing back to the traditional ‘koshqar muiz’ style of ornamentation. The relief is executed using the repoussé technique, followed by blackening of the recesses, which enhances the graphic expressiveness and emphasises the structure of the pattern. The contrast between the light surface of the metal and the darkened lines forms a clear design and enhances the decorative effect.Overall, the piece reflects a tendency characteristic of the Eastern Kazakhstani jewellery tradition towards a concise design with developed ornamental plasticity, where primary importance is attached to the rhythm, symmetry and expressiveness of the relief.