Zbruch Idol - Description

Description

The Zbruch Idol is a four-sided pillar of grey limestone, 2.67 m (8.8 ft) in height, and has three tiers of reliefs engraved upon each of the four sides. The lower tier is 67 cm (26 in); the middle tier is 40 cm (16 in); and the top tier is 167 cm (66 in). It is possible that during the 1848 excavation of the monument its lower layer was broken off and lost. The reliefs are in rather poor condition, though some traces of original polychrome were found in 1960s. The reliefs depict the following characters:

  • Three sides of the lowest tier show a kneeling, bearded entity who appears to support the upper tier on his hands; the fourth side is blank.
  • The middle tier shows a smaller entity with extended arms on all four sides.
  • The four sides of the uppermost tier have the largest figures of the idol, with four faces united beneath a tall rounded hat. Each of the sides has a distinct attribute: a ring or a bracelet; a drinking horn and a tiny "child" figure; a sword and a horse; and an eroded solar symbol.

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