Deer Imagery in Deer Stones and Animal-Style Bronze Artifacts

Abstract

Abstract As a central symbolic motif in the ancient art of the Eurasian Steppe, the deer developed into a distinctive visual and symbolic system from the Late Bronze Age to the Xiongnu period. Deer imagery provides an important perspective for understanding the spiritual world, ritual concepts, and artistic expression of ancient nomadic societies. This study examines deer stones and animal-style bronze artifacts distributed across the Mongolian Plateau, focusing on the formal characteristics, symbolic meanings, and visual transformation of deer imagery. Through comparative analysis of stylistic features, composition, ornamentation, and symbolic representation, this article explores the continuity and transformation of deer motifs from monumental stone carvings to portable bronze ornaments. The study argues that deer stones primarily embodied sacred and ritual symbolism associated with cosmology, ancestor worship, and the ascent of the soul, whereas animal-style bronze artifacts gradually transformed these symbolic forms into decorative and political expressions connected with identity, authority, and nomadic aesthetics. This transformation reflects broader changes in the artistic and ideological systems of steppe societies during the transition from the Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age. By examining the relationship between deer stones and animal-style bronze art within a continuous visual tradition, this article offers a new perspective on the interaction between art, technology, belief, and social structure in Eurasian steppe cultures.