Moonlight with Labrador

Lunnitsa is one of the most common amulets-amulets, existed for many ages and formed part of the female headdress. Despite the diversity of forms and technique are the same is their General resemblance to the Moon, symbolizing the lunar cult, fertility and womanhood.

Production lunnitsy traces its roots back thousands of years. First trekmovie lunnitsy already known in the bronze age monuments. In the ancient period, there are gold and silver Crescent lunnitsy decorated scannin decor. In the late Roman time, the Crescent shape is widely distributed in Europe and Asia. With Eastern Europe be Chernyakhovsky lunnitsy. Enamel lunacy characteristic of podneprovye territory and belong to the Kiev culture.

Since the second half of the IX century lunacy appear in the culture of the Eastern Slavs, and there are up to XIII. As the old Russian crucifix on the territory of Ancient Russia lunnitsy are becoming widespread in the X–XI century and the XII–XIII centuries become the most popular among the decorations of the rural population, although, as shown by recent studies, to consider lunnitsy purely Slavic decoration not. The appearance of two horns lunnitsy, due to the penetration in the Slavic environment at the end of VII – beginning of VIII century complex, delicately-granulated female ornaments in connection with the first wave of Byzantine influence. The best examples of lunnitsy – stamped silver, decorated with real dices that are known by hoards of X–XI centuries. In imitation of bronze and tin-lead alloys were cast lunnitsy pattern, copy etc. Wore lunnitsy mainly as pendants to ornate necklaces with temporal lobe jewelry.

To the XII century neck ring, which could include more than ten different ancient amulets pendants-lunnitsy. In 1914 he published the first classification of lunnitsy, was developed by Vera Vladimirovna, Holmsten. The basis of its classification is necessary the ratio of the length of the middle horizontal line and the distance between the horns. According to this classification, are divided into lunacy sirakorola and Askarova and manufacturing technique – stamped-filigree and cast. Silver sirakorola lunnitsy delicately-granulated work, known to us at the flea treasures and separate the rich burials of the local feudal nobility, are the products of Russian urban jewelers X–XI centuries.

Sirakorola cast lunnitsy came into use at the end of X – beginning of XI century (dated by the coins,
found together with them in burials and hoards).

For Oskarovich lunnitsy characteristic plant ornament in the form of two branches, diverging in different directions, and the geometrical pattern of raised lines and balls pseudogene. In XI–XII centuries sirakorola lunnitsy replaced
new types – the ostroróg family, you can also see closed kristallicheskie etc. that have direct Byzantine prototypes, ascending, in turn, to the Roman lunica III–IV BB.