Omitomorphous motifs in the medieval art of the Sayan and Altai mountains: semantics and traditions

The paper reviews several omitomorphous images on figurines from theSayan and Altai Mountains as well as adjacent regions dating to the end of 1,000-early2,000. The images of migratory waterfowl have been recorded in two variants, i. e.a pictorial variant and a sculptural variant, including the variant represented by a fasteningcomposed of two connecting parts. Birds (and an associated image of a winged deity) hada special meaning and significance in the world views, beliefs, mythology, epic traditions,rites and rituals of the Sayan and Altai populations. It was the basis for spreading motifsin the medieval arts and preserving images in the traditional culture