Experimental application of the geometric morphometry method in the analysis of the medieval ornament

The geometric morphometry method was employed to study medieval floral ornaments of a decorative style with exuberant motives developed in various regions. Due to importance of the issue relating to the origin of this style in Medieval Rus, a limited series of floral motives on art metalwork items were compared: ancient Russian artifacts of 10th century and Oriental ones of 6th-9th centuries. The comparison of the motive outlines using the method of geometric morphometry is supplemented by the construction of hypothetical lines for the development of ornamentation in the East and Medieval Rus coming from different sources, converging and diverging. Leaves of oriental motifs received complex rhythm of a curved contour. Leaves of Russian motifs developed into stems with a smoother curved contour. The experiment has revealed differences in the specific direction of stylistic development of ornament in the East and in Rus'. The similarities relate to the general transition from geometrism to splendor. The geometric morphometry method complements and specifies descriptive comparison of decoration patterns. The application of the method to study a greater number of materials of more diverse origins is promising.