#vani

[hypnofantasma]

[ Effects | No effects ]

The Main 13 Vani.

Took me about 6 and a half hours. I've always wanted to make a big nice image of all of them together, one that wasn't just a doodle, so here it is! I'm super happy with how it turned out, even with their cacophony of odd designs!

[sixteenseveredhands]

Gold Turtle Necklace from Ancient Colchis (modern-day Georgia/South Caucasus) c. 450 BCE: this necklace was crafted from 31 turtle-shaped pendants, each one made of g0ld

The necklace was discovered during excavations at an archaeological site in Vani, Georgia (the country, not the state). Ancient Vani once served as the religious and administrative center for the Kingdom of Colchis; as I've previously discussed, Colchis was also known as the homeland of the fabled Golden Fleece, and to much of the ancient world, the Colchians themselves were renowned for their skills in goldsmithing.

The turtle pendants on this necklace are all decorated with ornate filigree and granulation patterns. The eyes of the 30 smaller turtles were originally made with glass inlay, while the eyes of the largest turtle (seen in the center) were made from drops of gold.

As this article also notes (translated from Georgian):

[This necklace] is unique because of the zoomorphic depiction that it presents. Among the known examples of goldsmithing from antiquity, the depiction of a turtle is not attested anywhere other than the Vani necklace. 

The local origin of the necklace is primarily indicated by the stylistic unity of the pendants with other examples of Colchian goldsmithing. It should be noted that the land turtle depicted on the pendants was widespread in Colchis.

The excavations at Vani have uncovered lots of other artifacts made by Colchian goldsmiths. These artifacts include temple ornaments, zoomorphic figures, pieces of jewelry, diadems, headdresses, hairpins, drinking vessels, and appliqués, among other things, and they've provided some really valuable insights into the unique goldsmithing traditions that existed among the peoples of Colchis -- and the myths that evolved as a result.

A few of the other golden artifacts from Vani:

Top: headdress ornament featuring an openwork design, c. 350-300 BCE; the central panel of this piece depicts a stag and three other deer, while the frame is topped by two lions and several rows of birds; Bottom: a diadem with a set of temple ornaments, c. 400-350 BCE; all of the panels along the front of the diadem depict scenes of prey animals being hunted by lions

Top: necklace with a series of ram-shaped pendants, c. 400-350 BCE; each pendant was forged from two separate castings that were sealed together to form a complete shape, and the ears/horns were then soldered onto each piece; Bottom: set of bracelets with boar finials, c. 460-440 BCE

Golden appliqués depicting various animals, c. 400-300 BCE

Set of temple ornaments that depict two pairs of riders on horseback, c. 400-350 BCE

And a map showing the location of modern-day Georgia (just for reference):

As this map illustrates, Georgia is nestled right at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, with the Black Sea located on one side and the Caspian not far from the other; it is bordered by Russia to the North and by Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to the South

Sources & More Info:

National Geographic (Georgian): Golden Kolkheti

Atinati: The Golden Kingdom of Colchis

Smithsonian: Summary of "Wine, Worship, and Sacrifice: the Golden Graves of Ancient Vani" Exhibition

Burusi (Georgian): The Archaeological Discoveries at Vani

Quaternary International: A Modern Field Investigation of the Mythical “Gold Sands” of Ancient Colchis and the “Golden Fleece” Phenomena

[mokausr]

[stars-below-comic]

PROLOGUE

- START (You are here.) - X - CH 1 PART 1 - (Links to be added as chapters come out.) ----------------------------------------

Finally starting this thing up! Wanted it to start before Halloween, so here we go with a neat little prologue.

Anyone new finding this who don't have context, you're in for a wild ride!

[monqii]

[hypnofantasma-asks-and-doodles]

new name lol ANYWAY!!!! wanted to use this blog to also post the not-as-big drawings and stuff. here's a batch of traditional sketches i did the other day because i hadn't drawn traditionally in YEARS and i had an itch for it

[dreamisoup]

gravity falls, oregon + sorivani for some fall time vibes! 🍂 ended up going extra ham on this

there’s also three lucky emblems + a hidden secrete

hint* none of it are the light beams :-)c

[margicristal13]

OYE MARGI PODRIAS HACER UN DIBUJO CROOPY FAMILY DONDE , CROSS Y GOOPY ESTAN DURMIENDO , CROSS TIENE SU MANGALARGA LA QUE TIENE DEBAJO DE SU ABRIGO PERO NORMAL Y GOOPY TIENE EL VESITIDO DEL SHIPTOBER DAY 5 Y VANNY LA CUAL ES UNA BEBE Y ESTA DURMIENDO EN EL MEDIO , Y ESTA ES AGARANDO EL DEDO DE CROSS Y DE GOOPY , TIPO COMO ESTE DIBUJO

ORIGINAL : SHAYROMY

goopy by sunnycider

cross by @jakei95/@xtaleunderverse

vani by @kai-drawnarts

origianl by @shayromi

[vampiric-dolly-draws]

❄️

[hatake]

papillon

[phantom-nisnow]

Whoaaaaa be a little more careful!

[hypnofantasma]

What a weird fish.

-

Listen to Qigogol's battle theme here!

[sixteenseveredhands]

Figurine from Georgia (South Caucasus), c.300-200 BCE: this figurine was found buried in a pit beneath the ruins of an ancient temple; it was decorated with gold jewelry, wrapped in a burial shroud, and then placed in its own special "grave"

This is one of seven figurines that have been unearthed from similar burial pits throughout the city of Vani, which once served as the cultural, religious, and administrative center for the Kingdom of Colchis. Each figurine was crafted from bronze or iron, decorated with pieces of gold jewelry, wrapped in a special shroud, and then buried in a small "grave" that had been dug beneath (or near) one of the many temples that once stood throughout the city.

From The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani:

... other discoveries at Vani have shed light on Colchian culture. Most compelling are seven metal figurines, dating to 300–200 B.C., that have been discovered both in and near sacred structures at Vani. Adorned with gold jewelry and apparently wrapped in decorated garments, the figures were carefully buried in a way that seems to mimic the human burials at the site. Their precise function remains unclear, but they probably related to local religious and funerary customs.

And the Fitzwilliam Museum (which exhibited some of the artifacts from Vani back in 2008) adds:

Distinct local ritual practices are suggested during [the 3rd century BCE] as can bee seen from the four bronze and iron figurines displayed in the exhibition. These were discovered on the city’s upper terrace and were all buried in or near a sanctuary; this placement may well indicate a religious or funerary function for the figurines. The example illustrated here was placed between two terracotta tiles that were buried in a pit cut into the bedrock, thus mimicking contemporary human burials.

The figurine has a head with disproportionately large features, a low sloping brow, and an elongated torso with bowed arms and stiffly rendered legs. Most striking is its lavish gold jewellery, some of which reflects types worn by those buried at Vani. In addition to gold earrings, a torque (neck ring), and bracelets, five gold rosettes appear to have been strung around the figurine’s head and several pendants were found in its chest area.

The form and detail of their jewellery date the four figurines to the 3rd century BC. Their precise function, surely of local religious nature, still remains a subject of discussion. However, it is worth noting that the intriguing practice of burying such figurines in a ritualistic manner appears to be specific to Vani during its phase as a sanctuary city.

During antiquity, the Kingdom of Colchis covered the Western half of what is now the nation of Georgia, located in the South Caucasus. Colchis was famous for its talented goldsmiths, and it ultimately came to be known as the homeland of the fabled Golden Fleece -- the destination of Jason and the Argonauts, according to the Greek Argonautica.

Sources & More Info:

J. Paul Getty Museum: The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani

Fitzwilliam Museum: Ritual

Fitzwilliam Museum: From the Land of the Golden Fleece

Institute for the Study of the Ancient World: Wine, Worship, and Sacrifice

Journal of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies: Vani: An Ancient City of Colchis (PDF download)

[hunieday]

Happy birthday Vanitas !!! u are a little gremlin man

[berosgarden]

....and it sounds like glass shattering, and it sounds like you're not alone

[bunkerhillbros]

from Vani.