THE QUATREFOIL MOTIF AND ITS PROBABLE ORIGINS IN SAKHA FOLK ORNAMENTAL ART

The quatrefoil motif is a popular ornament in Sakha decorative and folk arts and crafts. It is popular not only in Yakutia, but all over the world. Until now, however, there have been no generalized works on this ornamental motif. Its symbolic signs have not been studied. Our study has revealed that the quatrefoil motif in ornamentation and decorative art dates back to the Neolithic period in the Halaf culture of Mesopotamia around 5765 BC. A number of researchers believe that this motif was a symbol of male fertility. We hypothesized that the quatrefoil motif probably appeared in the seals of Caucasian persimmon merchants and depicted the quatrefoil of its calyx. Thanks to the growing influence of trade, this motif has spread around the world. The oriental persimmon, as an important product for the well-being of the ancient Chinese population, became an image of the quatrefoil motif, which was adopted by the Xiongnu as a symbol of protection and resurrection. From them, the motif probably spread widely among the Turkic peoples. The Sakha apparently borrowed this motif from the Xiongnu, as indicated by the abundance of ornamental forms and the presence of archaeological, anthropological, and genetic data, which show the existence of sufficiently close links with the Xiongnu culture. The quatrefoil motif similar to the decorative forms of Gothic cathedrals was probably introduced to the Middle Lena by representatives of the Chaatas and Tyukhtyat cultures in Khakassia.

Introduction. The quatrefoil motif takes many forms in decorative and applied arts and crafts. Until now, there have been no generalized works on this ornamental motif. Its symbolic signs among different peoples have not been studied. This motif is widespread in Sakha applied folk art and can be found in archaeological materials and museum exhibits from the pre-revolutionary period, which confirms its archaic past. In this paper, we have analyzed the literature mentioning the quatrefoil motif in order to clarify its origins and history. Knowing the origins of this motif in ornamentation will make it possible to find out the roots of this ornamental motif in Sakha folk art and crafts.
Materials and methods. We have reviewed the literature with the search query "quatrefoil motif" in JSTOR, Google Academy, and eLibrary databases, article references, as well as image data Syria). During the Late Neolithic period of the Halaf culture, there was widespread colonization of northern territories [2]. During that period, seals with quatrefoil motifs appeared in the foothill settlement of Domuztepe in modern Turkey between Gaziantep and Marmaris (5755-5450 BC) [3]. A number of researchers suggest that: "…the quatrefoil and polypartite rosette forms may be understood as highly stylized composite depictions of male genitalia" [2]. It should be noted that the Domuztepe settlement was in the area of the original distribution (homeland) of the Caucasian persimmon (Diospyros lotus L.) [4]. It should be noted that the quatrefoil motif in the seal found in the Domuztepe settlement recalls the four-membered calyx of the forming fruit of the Caucasian persimmon [5]. While the number of petals of a persimmon flower may vary between cultivars, the sepals are always four-bladed ( Fig. 1) [6]. The fruit of the Caucasian persimmon is edible and very nutritious. It can be dried and stored for a long time. The seals found at Domuztepe probably belonged to persimmon traders. It has been established that the Halaf culture had extensive trade links. One of the foremost archaeologists of West Asia, J. Mellart wrote of the Halaf culture: "Never before had any culture carried out such widespread trade expansion" [7].
The quatrefoil motif later appeared in ancient Egypt and Greece, but apparently as a decorative element and was not very popular. This motif became most popular in Europe during the Gothic and Renaissance periods (Fig. 2). 900-400 years BC the quatrefoil motif appeared in Mayan culture [11]. Researchers believe that in Mayan culture this motif represented the entrance to the underworld. in museum catalogs. The resulting images of the quatrefoil motif were summarized and analyzed, and the oldest quatrefoil motifs in the museum and archaeological collections were identified by the dating of the artifacts.
Results and discussion. The quatrefoil motif is widely used in the design of architecture, ceramics, bronze items, and in the ornamentation of folk arts and crafts. In the literature this motif refers to ornamental images resembling clover leaves, persimmon sepals, four-petalled flowers and decorative elements mainly used in architecture and in small architectural forms, in the form of a quatrefoil outline with rounded edges, inside which various images can be placed [1].
One of the earliest motifs of the quatrefoil in pottery ornamentation is found in artifacts from the The quatrefoil motif was particularly popular in ancient China. An artifact more than 1,300 years old, a bronze ritual vessel of the gui type decorated with a quatrefoil motif, is in the collections of the British Museum (Inventory No. 1977.0404.1. date of manufacture 11th century B.C.) (Fig. 2).
The quatrefoil motif in the ornaments of ancient Chinese artifacts is known in Chinese literature as the 'persimmon stem' [13]. The ori-geometric variants of the quatrefoil motif and its transformation from the main ornamental element into an auxiliary one. Fig. 6 b) shows an arched choron ornament, with an additional element in the form of a geometric shape of a quatrefoil clover. According to S.V. Ivanov, the arched choron ornamentation is ental wild persimmon (Diōspyros kāki) has been known in China for over 11,000 years. It saved the nation in famine years. Domestication of the culture occurred from 1000 B.C. to 500 A.D. [14] According to the author, the ornaments began to use the image of persimmons at that time (Fig. 3). Archaeologist N.V. Polosmak notes that almost all Xiongnu burials in which she participated were decorated with quatrefoil elements made of various materials and covered with gold foil (Fig. 5). She writes that the symbol was borrowed from China and was meant to "...protect the body from hostile supernatural forces and contribute to its resurrection" [13]. This ornamental motif was probably borrowed by the Xiongnu from the Turkic peoples of Siberia -the Tatars, Tuvinians, Altaians, Khakasses, and Sakha.
The quatrefoil motif is a very popular one among Sakha people. There are a variety of options of the motif and its geometricization, which characterizes its existence in Sakha folk arts and crafts for a long time. In the Sakha ornaments collected by B.F. Neustroev (Mandar Uus) we counted 60 variants of the motif [14]. Fig. 5 shows the possible Polosmak [13]. The shape of the quatrefoil is undoubtedly similar to that of the Chinese.  [17] (Fig. 7).
According to L.R. Kyzlasov, the Xiongnu led by Maodun in 201 BC subdued the northern Dinlins, who lived at that time in the territory of the Khakass-Minusinsk Basin. Traces of the latter, in the author's opinion, are represented by artifacts of the Tagar culture [18]. The the Minusinsk Basin of the Yenisei. The ornamental motifs in the form of a quatrefoil. The motifs remind of the birch bark ornament of At Byraan III burial (Fig. 8) [19].
It should be noted that the quatrefoil motif has been continuously observed in ornamental art since the Xiongnu, Turkic khanates, Golden Horde and modern Turkic peoples of Russia.
According to folklore data, in times immemorial, the Kyrgys lived on the territory of Yakutia [20]. According to A.N. Bernshtam, Tur-Xiongnu moved their conquered Turkic-speaking Ge Kun ( ) to the area and placed their viceroy. Unlike the Xiongnu and Dinglin, the Ge Kuns buried their dead by a corpse-burial ceremony. According to L.R. Kyzlasov, the Tashtyk culture was formed as a result of the mixing of the Ge Kuns and the Dinlins. From the 6th century onwards, the Ge Kuns were no longer mentioned in Chinese sources and were identified with the Khakas [18]. Cremation burials were characteristic of the Chaatas and Tyukhtyat cultures in a b Fig. 6: The quatrefoil motif in the ornaments of Sakha folk applied art, its geometricization and transformation from the main element of the ornament into an auxiliary one: (a) ornamental motifs from B.F. Neustroyev [16]; b) The original ancient ornament of the choron. Fig. 7: A fragment of a birch basket ornamented with a quatrefoil motif from the cremation of At Byraan III (radiocarbon dating from 1280-1490) [17]. of male fertility. We hypothesized that the quatrefoil motif appeared in the stamps of Caucasian persimmon merchants and depicted its calyx. Thanks to the growing influence of trade, this motif has spread around the world. The oriental persimmon, as an important product for the well-being of the ancient Chinese population, became an image of the quatrefoil-shaped motif, which was adopted by the Xiongnu as a symbol of protection and resurrection. From them, the motif probably spread widely among the Turkic peoples. The Sakha apparently borrowed this motif from the Xiongnu, as indicated by the abundance of ornamental forms and the presence of archaeological, anthropological, and genetic data, which show the existence of sufficiently close links with the Xiongnu culture. The quatrefoil motif similar to the decorative forms of Gothic cathedrals was probably introduced to the Middle Lena by representatives of the Chaatas and Tyukhtyat cultures in Khakassia.
kic-speaking tribes left the northernmost runic record on the rocks of the Lena River around the 9th century [21]. Yakut historian V.V. Ushnitsky believes that the Yenisei Kyrgyz participated in the ethnogenesis of the Sakha [22]. But it should be noted that the Xiongnu probably entered the territory of Yakutia at the same time when they subdued the Yenisei Dinlins. It cannot be excluded that Turkic-speaking people were among them (Fig. 9)[23]. Mt DNA haplogroup assignment using EMPOP tools of the 'Pokrovsky Warrior' mitotype yielded haplogroup D4l. The HVS1 mtDNA of this ancient skeleton matched the data of three modern Sakha whose haplogroup D4l2 was determined. It should be noted that the same haplogroup is found in a female skeleton recovered from a Turkic burial site in the Province of Wulgan in Mongolia, age of 1280 ybp [25].

Conclusion.
The quatrefoil-shaped motif in ornamental and decorative art thus emerged as early as the Neolithic period, around 5765 BC. A number of researchers believe that this motif was a symbol