“The Tsaraam valley is situated 30 km to the west of the town of Kiakhta (Kiakhta district of the Buriat Republic), not far from the Russian-Mongolian border.” [Sergey Miniaev]
“the complex is no earlier than about the last third of the first century BCE and very likely is to be dated in the first century CE.” [Sergey Miniaev]
Gilded iron monster mask, a buckle ornament with turquoise inlays
Power Politics in the Xiongnu Empire, Bryan K. Miller, University of Pennsylvania 2009 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/76382562.pdf
“Monster mask buckle ornamentation found in the square tomb 7 at Tsaraam cemetery in Buryatia exhibits the inlay of precious stones into a gilded iron framework, as well as a motif, the exact manner of which had not been seen before in the eastern steppes [Fig.7.5 (left)].
A few gilded iron belt ornaments with tear-shaped inlays were found at Burkhan tolgoi [Fig.6.35f (bottom)], further indicating the trend of such inlayed precious metal artifacts included in all levels of élite burials which bears striking resemblance to treasures of Central Asian groups further west.”
Photo after Bryan K. Miller
S. Miniaev describes a buckle as an image of a satire. According to his report “The Inventory of Barrow No. 7 and the Chronology of the Site”, two such buckles were found in the tomb.
Together with those mask three other objects inlaid with turquoise were found – two (probably) finials and a small flask with the image of a mountain goat. [pic. below]
Investigation of a Xiongnu Royal Tomb Complex in the Tsaraam Valley, Sergey Miniaev https://www.academia.edu
Photo © 2007 S.S. Miniaev & L.M. Sakharovskaia
Photo © 2007 S.S. Miniaev & L.M. Sakharovskaia
Drawing © 2007 S.S. Miniaev & L. M. Sakharovskaia