Arrows and quivers of the Kazakh warriors from the funds of the Tula State Museum of Arms

Scientific community of Russia and other CIS countries has shown a stable growth of interest to the arms, military history and art of Central Asian nomads of late Middle Ages and early modern period over past few decades. Special attention is aroused by previously unknown arms items of the Kazakh, Oirat, Mongolian, Kirghiz and other nations of the Great Steppe from the funds of museums and private collections. The article views three arrows and three leather quivers from the funds of the Tula State Museum of Arms (Tula). Purpose: to find out the date and classify arrows and quivers from the funds of the Tula State Museum of Arms using the complex analysis of archaeological, graphic and written records. Results: Written materials stored in the museum do not allow defining conditions and date when these objects arrived to the museum. Perhaps quiver with ornament (ТГМО КП-2038 or ТГМО КП-2039) was transferred to the museum in the 30s. XX century State Hermitage Museum (the city of Leningrad / St.-Petersburg).The analysis of the arrows' construction and decoration system shows that by the purpose of use the arrows belong to three different categories: one is a battle arrow (ТГМО КП-5568), another was used for hunting (ТГМО КП-5569), and the third is a signal arrow (ТГМО КП-5570) (bone whistle of the signal arrow did not survive to this day). Feathering arrows preserved fragments. In the late Middle Ages and early modern period, similar arrows were used on the territory of today's Kazakhstan, Mongolia, South Siberia, and the Qin China. The leather quivers have a characteristic sand glass shape with elongated back part. Quiver narrowed in the central part. They look like the figure "8". Two of the quivers are decorated with stamped floral ornaments on the front side (ТГМО КП-2038; ТГМО КП-2039). The face of the third quiver is smooth (ТГМО КП- 2037). The quivers of such type are typical for Kazakh traditional small-arms system of the late Middle Ages and early modern period. Their analogues are widely represented in the Russian, Kazakh, Chinese, Uzbek, Kyrgyz museums and private collections.The construction and decoration system of the objects under consideration suggest that the arrows were manufactured in Central Asia or Qin China, and the quivers were made by Kazakh masters of the XVII - early XIX century. Conclusion: With a great deal of certainty, the arrows and quivers can be considered parts of the same small-arms system. It is known that during the given period Kazakhs manufactured their own bows and arrows in large quantity and actively purchased those made by Mongolian and Chinese masters. Kits for archery from the funds of the Tula State Museum of Arms are a striking example of cooperation between military and cultural traditions of Central Asia and Eastern Asia.