Ongon

The 14th century.

Bronze. Height 8.3 cm

Found at the Vodyanskoye settlement near the town of Dubovka, Dubovsky rayon.

Excavations by Evgeny Pavlovich Myskov, 1998.

The anthropomorphic figurine of a man with arms extended along the body, roughly carved from a thin sheet of metal. One of the interesting types of amulets is the ongon, the keeper of the hearth. Food and wine were offered to them as a sacrifice. It was believed that they brought happiness and prosperity to the house. The Mongols believed that ongons were able to see, feel pain, and get angry if they were given a bad sacrifice.