Figure 1
The three find locations of the six headdresses marked with green points within the historical states to which they most likely belonged. The headdress and crown found at the Tillya Tepe burial site dated to the 1st century CE, located in ancient Bactria. Two buyao attributed to the Tuoba Xianbei, dated to the 3rd to the 5th or 6th century CE, shown here within the territory of the Northern Wei dynasty (4th–6th century CE) established by the Tuoba Xianbei. Two crowns dated to the early 5th and the early 5th or 6th century CE found in royal tombs from the Silla kingdom (1st–10th century CE).
Table 1
Types of indirectly struck idiophones (the wording in the table is taken verbatim from Hornbostel & Sachs, 1961: 15).
| Shaken idiophones or rattles The player executes a shaking motion | Suspension rattles Perforated idiophones are mounted together, and shaken to strike against each other. | Strung rattles Rattling objects are strung in rows on a cord. |
| Stick rattles Rattling objects are strung on a bar (or ring). | ||
| Frame rattles Rattling objects are attached to a carrier against which they strike. | Pendant rattles Rattling objects are hung from a frame. | |
| Sliding rattles Non-sonorous objects slide to and fro in the slots of the sonorous object so that the latter is made to vibrate; or sonorous objects slide to and fro in the slots of a non- sonorous object, to be set in vibration by the impacts. | ||
| Vessel rattles Rattling objects enclosed in a vessel strike against each other or against the walls of the vessel, or usually against both. |
Figure 2
Tree-like headdress from Tomb IV at Tillya Tepe, 1st century CE. The disks likely would have made a tinkling or jingling sound when banging against each other. (Shenkar, 2017: 159).
Figure 3
Small ram statuette from Tomb IV at Tillya Tepe, 1st century CE. This statuette was possibly part of the deceased’s headgear along with the tree, which it likely faced. (Shenkar, 2017: 160).
Figure 4
Crown found in Tomb VI at Tillya Tepe, 1st century CE. The crown has clear tree-like imagery, possibly also antler-like, as well as depictions of birds and fish or reptiles. Many small disks hang from the frame and they, along with the flower petals, would likely emit a jingling sound when they hit the frame. (Han, 2008: 15).
Figure 5
Left One ornament from the deer- or horse-headed buyao pair, 3rd to 5th, or possibly 6th century CE. Apart from the deer or horse head, the ornament includes tree- and antler-like imagery. The dangling leaves would have produced clanging or jingling sounds as they hit the antlers and each other, though likely quite quietly. Right One ornament from the bovine-headed buyao pair, 3rd to 5th, or possibly 6th century CE. Apart from the bovine head, the ornament includes tree- and antler-like imagery. The ends of the ears and the antlers are joined together and can therefore move slightly, possibly producing a rattling sound, but the main source of sound would likely have been the leaves banging against the antlers and ears, producing clanging or jingling. (Watt, 2004c: 128).
Figure 6
Gold crown found in the Great Tomb of Hwangnam, early 5th century CE. The uprights look like trees and/or antlers and the crown has gogok in addition to leaf-like spangles. The spangles on the streamers are attached close enough to be able to clang against the chain and each other, and the streamers themselves and the decorations could jingle and tangle with each other as well. Gyeongju National Museum (Object No. Hwangbuk 1).
Figure 7
Gold crown found in the Auspicious Phoenix Tomb, early 5th or early 6th century CE. The uprights look like trees and/or antlers and the crown has gogok in addition to leaf-like spangles. The spangles on the streamers are attached close enough to be able to clang against the chain and each other, and the streamers and intermediary decorations are attached close enough to be able to clang against each other and jingle. The inner headdress, made of two plates forming a cross over the head from which stands an upright decorated with three birds, is an unusual feature. Arrow added by author of this article. National Museum of Korea (Object No. Bon’gwan 14319).
Figure 8
A closer look at the birds positioned behind the finial on the Auspicious Phoenix Tomb crown, where the arrow is pointing on Figure 7. An upright is fastened to the top of the cross formed by the inner headdress with three short branches and a bird sitting on each branch. National Museum of Korea (Object No. Bon’gwan 14319).
Table 2
A comparison of the headdresses examined in this article. ‘()’ indicates a less likely possibility, while ‘/’ indicates two equally likely possibilities.
| ARTEFACT | CLASSIFI-CATION | PROBA-BILITY GROUP | FIND LOCATION | FIND CONTEXT | DATING | CULTURE | SHAMANIC CHARACTER-ISTICS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tillya Tepe headdress | Stick rattle | 4/3 | Northern Afghanistan | Tomb IV | 1st c. CE | Possibly Saka or Yuezhi | Tree imagery, ram |
| Tillya Tepe crown | Sliding rattle, pendant rattle, (stick rattle) | 4/3 | Northern Afghanistan | Tomb VI | 1st c. CE | Possibly Saka or Yuezhi | Tree imagery, (antlers), birds, fish/reptiles |
| Bovine-headed buyao pair | Sliding rattle, pendant rattle | 4(3) | Xihezi, Damao Banner, Inner Mongolia | Buried hoard | 3rd – 5th (6th) c. CE | Tuoba Xianbei | Tree imagery, antlers, bovine |
| Deer- or horse-headed buyao pair | Pendant rattle | 5(4) | Xihezi, Damao Banner, Inner Mongolia | Buried hoard | 3rd – 5th (6th) c. CE | Tuoba Xianbei | Tree imagery, antlers, deer/horse |
| Crown, Great Tomb of Hwangnam | Pendant rattle, strung rattle | 4/3 | Gyeongju, South Korea | Royal tomb | Early 5th c. CE | Silla | Tree imagery, antlers, gogok |
| Crown, Auspicious Phoenix Tomb | Pendant rattle, strung rattle | 4/3 | Gyeongju, South Korea | Royal tomb | Early 5th – early 6th c. CE | Silla | Tree imagery, antlers, gogok, birds |