Amjad M. Jaimoukha
“Noble Tscherkesseian”, colour lithograph drawn and etched by the English artist John Augustus Atkinson (1775-1831). Other titles: “A Noble Tscherkesse”. Published in 1804, as illustration no. 33 (last one) in volume III of the book:
John Augustus Atkinson and James Walker, “A Picturesque Representation of the Manners, Customs, and Amusements of the Russians: In One Hundred Coloured Plates: With an Accurate Explanation of Each Plate in English and French”, in three volumes, London: W. Balmer and Co., 1803-1804.
Explanation of the Plate “Noble Tscherkesseian”.
“The Plate represents a noble Tscherkesseian on horseback, completely armed. He is mounted on a horse of the race Schaloch [Scholex'w; щолэхъу], which their tradition asserts to have sprung from the sea. This horse, with its appropriate mark, is of the first and most esteemed race.”
Each race of Circassian horses was burned with a particular stigma. Forgery was severely punished. The emblem [damighe; дамыгъэ] on the horse informs us that the knight is actually a prince (not a nobleman) of the Talhosten [Талъостэн; also Tawsulht'en (ТаусулътIэн)] princely dynasty [see attached Illustration 5]. The emblem of the Scholex’w princes is shown in Illustration 4 [A. O. Orlovsky’s (1777-1832) “A Kabardian Chief”]. The Scholex’w and Talhosten princely families belonged to the same clan with common ancestry, which explains the similarity in the emblems.
The emblem top-left is that of the Kabardian Talhosten
[Талъостэн; also Tawsulht'en (ТаусулътIэн)] princely dynasty.
From the book: Kh. Yakhtanygov [Х. Х. Яхтанигов (Ехъутэныдж)],
From the book: Kh. Yakhtanygov [Х. Х. Яхтанигов (Ехъутэныдж)],
"North Caucasian Heraldic Emblems" [written in Russian: Северокавказские тамги], 1993.
A. O. Orlovsky’s (1777-1832) “A Kabardian Chief”.
The emblem on the left haunch of the horse is that of the Scholex’w princes.
Whereas we have been inured to the “fact” that there were ten established breeds of Kabardian horses (listed below), Atkinson informs us that there were 48 principal horse races in Kabarda, which have each their particular mark [damighe; дамыгъэ] on the haunch! What we can say with absolute certainty is that there is a lot yet to learn about Circassian culture and heritage, even for specialists, discounting the substantive portion that has been lost in the mist of time. Lots of humble pie to eat!
The known breeds of Kabardian horses:
Shaghdiy (шагъдий);
Scholex'w (щолэхъу) [known more for its durability, strength and speed than its beauty];
Zherishti (жэрышты);
Qrimpscheghwale (кърымпщэгъуалэ);
Qwndeit (къундет);
Abuq (абукъ);
Xware (хуарэ);
Durdil (дурдыл);
Alhp (алъп);
Bechqan (бэчкъан).
John Augustus Atkinson (1775-1831) was born in London. In 1784, he went to St. Petersburg to his uncle James Walker, engraver to the Empress Catherine the Great. There he studied in the picture galleries, encouraged by Catherine and her son Paul I, and was commissioned by Paul to paint large pictures of Russian history.
In 1801, Atkinson returned to England, and in 1803-4 published (with James Walker) the three-volumed “A Picturesque Representation of the Manners, Customs, and Amusements of the Russians: In One Hundred Coloured Plates: With an Accurate Explanation of Each Plate in English and French” (London: W. Balmer and Co.), drawn and etched by himself.
