Central Asian Memorial Posts at the Bowers

Memorial Statues (Balbals), reproductions
Mongolia and Central Asia
Gift of National Museum of History, Taipei
The Bowers’ grounds are home to two statues that you may or may not have passed without even realizing it. One of the two stands sentry at the Main Street entrance to the museum while the other sits next to a small fountain and trees in the courtyard. These statues are actually depictions of people, and although they are reproductions, the statues are representative of an art form that was used for over three millennia to memorialize the dead. Known as Kurgan stelae or Balbals, these memorial statues are types of stelae, stone markers used to commemorate people or events. The balbals depict people, and thus are memorial markers for the dead. The earliest known balbal dates to approximately the 4th millennium BC while the latest dates to the Middle Ages. The numerous examples are found most often in areas of burial; however they are not isolated to one particular place or geographic region. Large groups of balbals have been found in Southern Russia, Ukraine, Prussia, southern Siberia, Central Asia, and Mongolia. They have also been found in the Eurasian Steppe regions, Saudi Arabia, and Anatolia.

The varied geographic and cultural locations of the balbals provide for artistic variation. Different types of stone and designs are used. Undoubtedly, this has to do with the fact that the balbals were memorializing people. Therefore, just as no two people are alike, a balbal preserves the individuality of the person it was created for. Design varied, but many balbals have been found in conic and flat form. Balbals also varied in purpose. Some are found atop kurgans, or tumulus, and some are buried in graves. Others serve more specific purposes. For example, a group of balbals could function as a fence for a sacred area, or as place where sacrificial offering were received. All text and images under copyright. Please contact Collection Department for permission to use. Information subject to change with further research.